In demand: Prior to the official launch on Oct 13, the new Honda City had already garnered 5,000 bookings to date.
PETALING JAYA: Honda Malaysia may increase its sales target for the new Honda City once its top-of-the-range RS e:HEV variant hits the road in January 2021.
Honda Malaysia stated that it has set a target of 3,000 units per month for the new Honda City sedan during its official launch on Oct 13.“We may add 500 units more to the sales target when the RS is introduced in January next year depending on the market, ” said Honda Malaysia group sales and after sales vice-president Jahabarnisa Haja Mohideen.
Prior to the official launch, the new Honda City had already garnered 5,000 bookings to date.
The new, fifth generation Honda City now comes in four variants, starting with S, E, V and RS. However, the price for the RS will only be announced at a later date.
Prices start at RM74,191.27 for the S variant, RM81,664.82 (E variant) and RM86,561.45 (V variant). All prices are on-the-road with sales tax exemption.
Vision to improve mobility
The event also saw the global debut of the Honda City RS e:HEV, which features a highly efficient two-motor hybrid system powered by the intelligent multi-mode drive powertrain. This is in line with the Japanese’s marque vision of mobility in the future.
“Our 2030 vision is to lead the advancement of mobility and enable people around the world to improve their daily lives.
“With that, we have introduced Honda e:Technology to fulfill our 2030 vision, ” said Honda Motor Co Ltd regional operations (Asia and Oceania) chief officer and Asian Honda Motor Co Ltd president and chief executive officer Masayuki Igarashi.
The City RS powertrain produces a best-in-class high torque of 253Nm and 108PS combined with the electric continuous variable transmission to deliver a powerful and smooth acceleration.
The new powertrain gives the option of selecting between three driving modes: EV Drive, Hybrid Drive and Engine Drive.
Stylish and convenient
Besides driving a more powerful and efficient car, the City RS e:HEV looks the part too with new trim features to set it apart from the rest, such as the gloss black front grille, a carbon patterned front lip, the rear bumper with diffuser, trunk spoiler and gloss black door mirrors for a two-toned effect.
The interior also boasts unique features such as the 7-inch interactive thin film transistor meter cluster, sport pedal pads as well as ultra-suede seats with red stitching.
The City RS e:HEV also has convenient features such as the electric parking brake button, remote engine start which allows the driver to start the car remotely and turn on the air-conditioning with a push of the button on the key fob.
Advanced safety features
And where safety is concerned, the City RS e:HEV tops it all with Honda Sensing, the most advanced safety features in the segment.
Honda Sensing comes with a suite of driver assistance safety systems such as adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation braking system, forward collision warning, lane keep assist system, road departure mitigation, lane departure warning and auto high beam.
This is in line with Honda’s vision of a collision-free mobile society.
“I believe the All-New City RS e:HEV will further excite the Malaysian market and bring joy to every customer with its advanced technologies and class-leading features, ” said Igarashi.
