Review: Honda City Hybrid – electrified performance for the masses

(Model | Gallery)

The Honda City needs no introduction, as it is Malaysia's favourite non-national B-segment sedan.

Honda Malaysia offers several variants of the City, ranging from the affordable City 1.5 S (from RM 73,836) all the way up to the City Hybrid (from RM 92,172). 

We reckon that the Honda City Hybrid is worth it, as the sophisticated powertrain transforms the unassuming Honda City into a capable performer that does not sacrifice fuel consumption.

Exterior – Few Hybrid emblems that separate it from non-hybrid variants

The Honda City Hybrid may be the most expensive variant in the line-up, but it lacks features that the range-topping petrol Honda City 1.5 V has, like LED headlights, LED front fog lights, and a boot-lid spoiler. 

Instead, the Honda City Hybrid gets halogen headlights (with LED DRLs) and several hybrid emblems. 

Build quality is decent, as panel gaps around the car was mostly consistent. We noticed the largest deviation being 1.5 mm between panels.

The Honda City Hybrid's paint thickness is consistent between panels with the thickness ranging from mid-120s micrometers to mid-270s. 

Interior – Still one of the best in the segment

The Honda City remains as the benchmark for the segment when it comes to interior practicality.

While the cheaper Honda City 1.5 V gets a leather upholstery with a leather-wrapped steering wheel, gear lever, a soft-padded dashboard, and an 8-speaker audio system, the pricier Honda City Hybrid makes do with fabric upholstery, a urethane steering wheel, and a 4-speaker audio system. Despite that, the Honda City Hybrid does get a slick shift-by-wire gear shifter and unique meter cluster. 

Compared to the integrated unit found on the pre-facelifted model, the one found on the updated City range feels like a step-back, as the display suffers from glare that makes it tough to read texts.

This head unit also lacks Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, which would have otherwise complemented this near-perfect interior.

The Honda City Hybrid also gets an air intake vent on the right side of the rear seats that channels cool air from the cabin to the battery pack located in the boot. Make sure to never block these vents as it safeguards the longevity of the hybrid battery. 

Speaking of the boot, those who frequently load stuff into the boot of cars would be pleased to know that the Honda City Hybrid's boot space is identical to the petrol variant, at 536 litres.

This is achieved by placing the hybrid battery pack in the spare wheel well. As a result, the Honda City Hybrid does not come with a spare wheel, only a tire repair kit.

Driving Performance and Handling – Miles ahead of the regular variants

Under the bonnet lies a 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine that does 110 PS and 134 Nm, hooked up to an electric motor that contributes another 30 PS and 160 Nm.

Thanks to its hybrid drivetrain, the Honda City Hybrid boasts a combined system output of 137 PS and 170 Nm. These figures are less than the sum of both the engine's and electric motor's output is due to the fact that both figures peak at different rotational speeds.

Although the Honda City Hybrid features regenerative braking, we noticed that brake feel did not feel artificially boosted and easy to modulate, even in stop-and-go traffic.

The Honda City Hybrid also gets a number of handling enhancements over the regular Honda City, including a more rigid A-pillar, additional strengthening at the rear bulkhead, a retuned steering gear ratio, and improved suspension tuning.

All these may seem minute, but in reality, the Honda City Hybrid drives like a completely different car from the regular petrol Honda City.

Turn-in is sharp, and the rear end of the Honda City Hybrid follows steering input obediently, making it a joy for tackling corners. Body composure is also great, and couple that with the hybrid powertrain's instantaneous torque delivery, it makes for an exciting driving experience.

Further adding to the overall driving experience of the Honda City Hybrid is its 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) that offers near instantaneous and seamless gear shifts. It is also worth noting is that the electric motor aids the Honda City Hybrid when moving from a dead stop, reducing the jerky-from-start behavior of regular DCTs.

Our own tests indicate that the Honda City Hybrid completes the 0-100 km/h sprint in 10.6 seconds.

Ride Comfort – Impressive for what it is

The ride comfort of the Honda City Hybrid is far more superior when compared to the regular City, as Honda engineers have retuned the suspension of the Honda City Hybrid to cope with the additional weight introduced by the hybrid battery.

Rear seat comfort is also good in the Honda City Hybrid, with sufficient recline angle and more than enough legroom. However, headroom could be tight for taller folks.

While the Honda City Hybrid may get a more sophisticated drivetrain over the regular City, it loses out on the curtain airbags found on the Honda City 1.5 V, with the total airbag count coming in at just 4.

At 110 km/h, we recorded the cabin noise level to be at 70 dB. At idle, the cabin registers just 42 dB.

Fuel Consumption – Hard to beat these figures

After covering roughly 360 km with a mixture of urban and highway driving conditions, the Honda City Hybrid returned 5.7-litre/100 km. We reckon that with some conservative driving, the Honda City fuel consumption can be further improved.

Conclusion – Hybrid is where it's at

The Honda City Hybrid is a rather unique proposition from Honda Malaysia, as it offers the best of both worlds – excellent driving dynamics without sacrificing fuel economy. Setting the Honda City Hybrid apart from the competition is its sophisticated drivetrain that offers best-in-class power figures, yet keeping Honda City fuel consumption as low as possible (Honda quotes a 3.9-litre/100 km figure)

But like anything else, there are some compromises to be made.

The biggest compromise, we reckon, is the lack of curtain airbags, which are available on the cheaper Honda City 1.5 V. The Honda City 1.5 V also gets leather upholstery, a nice soft-padded dashboard, 8-speaker audio system, and a spare wheel.

Then there's the touchscreen head unit, which is a let-down for an otherwise perfect interior. 

However, if you can look beyond these, then the Honda City Hybrid is certainly worth the extra money over the Honda City 1.5 V, as we believe that the drivetrain alone more than makes up for it. Couple that with the stellar fuel economy and superb road manners, the Honda City Hybrid is definitely worth the premium over the range-topping Honda City 1.5 V.