Amidst all the hullaballoo in Malaysia following the 2021 Perodua Ativa's launch last night, our Indonesian neighbours also had a launch of their own: the 2021 Honda City Hatchback was officially introduced there yesterday.

Indonesian-spec City Hatchback

Unlike Thailand, Indonesia's Honda Jazz replacement only comes in sole RS guise - but there's no hybrid or turbocharged power here.

Instead of the dual-motor i-MMD powertrain that will be powering our Honda City RS, the Indonesian-spec City Hatchback runs on the same 1.5-litre mill that's currently seeing use in the Malaysian-spec pure-petrol variants:

Also read: Here’s why the all-new 2020 Honda City RS with i-MMD doesn’t need a gearbox

We can hear the collective clicks and clacks of your keyboards already - yes, manual is an option in Indonesia, but don't hold your breath for that to make it here.

The Malaysian-spec City Hatchback will mimic the same 1.5-litre engine/CVT combo as the City sedan.

The Thai-spec 1.0-litre, turbocharged three-pot mill (122 PS/173 Nm) is hugely unlikely to make it here. Why? Because Thailand offers tax deductions for low CO2 emissions engines. Without it, the engine is too expensive for developing markets in this region.

Also read: 2020 Honda City - Why we'd rather have the 1.5L NA engine over the 1.0L Turbo

Features of the City Hatchback

RS trimmings are standard - which means there's an aerokit that includes a front lip (in faux carbon-fibre print), rear diffuser, gloss black accents, and also 16-inch wheels.

Also read: Think the 2021 Honda City Hatchback looks weird? There’s a good reason why

Honda says that the aerokit was "wind-tunnel-developed" in their motorsports-dedicated Honda Research & Development (HRD) facility in Sakura, Japan. Yes, the same facility that develops their F1 cars. How's that for bragging rights?

Moving inside, the Indonesian-specs City Hatchback comes with all the expected features - ULTRA seats, leather-suede-fabric combination interior upholstery, and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system.

No ADAS features make it to the Indonesian-specs City Hatchback. Instead, it makes do with the regular fittings: 6 airbags, ISOFIX tethers, and Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) among others.

When is it coming to Malaysia?

Like the rest of the ASEAN region, the City Hatchback will supersede the Jazz in Malaysia. 

Also read: Malaysia confirmed to end Honda Jazz with City Hatchback – wise move or foolish?

As we often repeat, it's aimed at the Toyota Yaris' jugular - and it'll easily be Honda Malaysia's biggest launch this year.

For a complete round-up of what to expect as it heads to Malaysia, check out this article!