Three years after it was launched in Malaysia, replacing the Honda Jazz, the Honda City Hatchback (HB) has been given a facelift. Locally assembled (CKD) in Pegoh, Melaka, the City HB facelift is offered in 5 variants:

• 1.5 S – RM 85,900
• 1.5 E – RM 90,900
• 1.5 V – RM 95,900
• 1.5 RS Petrol – RM 100,900
• 1.5 RS e:HEV – RM 112,900

Across the board, prices have increased between 3% to 8% depending on the variants. The pre-facelift City HB range was priced from RM 78,900 (1.5 S) to RM 109,900 (1.5 RS e:HEV),

As seen in the City sedan facelift last year, Honda has replaced the 1.5 V Sensing with the 1.5 RS Petrol variant for the updated 2024 City HB. The RS Petrol has similar features to the RS e:HEV, minus the hybrid powertrain and the electric parking brake (EPB) - all petrol variants use a traditional emergency handbrake.

The changes on the exterior of the City HB facelift are as subtle as the City sedan. New front- and rear bumpers, a refreshed honeycomb front grille, and an updated diffuser are added across all variants.

The RS variants also receive a new wheel design in the form of 16-inch Berlina Black wheels as well as a sporty RS kit.

Inside, the changes are a little less obvious when compared to the pre-facelift unless you dive deep into the details. The S, E, and V variants receive a colour 4.2-inch multi-info display (MID) nestled between the two analogue dials while the RS variants get a 7-inch semi-digital cluster.

Rear passengers for all variants aside from the base S are also greeted by the inclusion of a pair of USB-C ports below the air-cond vents. A new high-definition 8-inch infotainment screen is also available on all variants besides the S which only offers a standard Bluetooth-enabled player.

The updated infotainment unit supports wireless Apple CarPlay (CP) and Android Auto (AA) only for the RS variants. The E and V variants only support wired CP/AA.

Following the footsteps of its sedan sibling, Honda Sensing is now available as standard across the refreshed City HB range. The ADAS suite includes:

• Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS)
• Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
• Road Departure Mitigation (RDM)
• Forward Collision Warning (FCW)
• Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS)
• Auto High Beam (AHB)
• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
• Low-speed Follow (RS e:HEV only)

While the City HB gains plenty of nip and tuck as well as feature enhancements in the facelift, the one thing that is carried over from the pre-facelift is the powertrain. Two choices remain for Malaysian buyers:

• 1.5 NA 4-cylinder, 121 PS/145 Nm, CVT (S, E, V, RS Petrol)
• 1.5 NA 4-cylinder dual-motor hybrid, (Engine: 98 PS/127 Nm, Motor: 109 PS/253 Nm)

Bookings for the 2024 Honda City Hatchback facelift were announced last month. As usual, the City HB is backed by a 5-year, unlimited mileage warranty, while the RS e:HEV’s hybrid battery gets an 8-year, unlimited mileage deal.