When Honda Malaysia announced that the fourth and current generation of the Honda Jazz would not be available, fans of the tall hatchback were in mourning.

Admittedly, I too love the looks of the GR-generation Jazz and was anticipating its official arrival but to no avail.

Instead, the Jazz’s replacement in Malaysia and other developing markets like Thailand, Indonesia, and Latin America would be the Honda City Hatchback.

The cries of Jazz fans grew louder but when the hatch made its global debut in Thailand in 2020, the outpouring of grief was drowned out by praises of anticipation.

A year later in 2021, Honda Malaysia introduced the Honda City Hatchback and since its launch in December of that year, over 28,700 units have been sold nationwide.

In 2023, the City Hatchback was the third best-selling H-brand in the country contributing 13% to Honda Malaysia’s sales. Only the City sedan and HR-V outsold the Jazz replacement at 30% and 25% respectively.

But speaking of the Jazz, should we even miss it?

Jazz not meeting expectations, even in Japan

Sold as the Honda Fit in Japan, sales of the current generation tell a different tale from the success of the City Hatchback in Malaysia. Despite the familiar tall boy package and a futuristic-looking design, the latest Jazz was considered a sales flop in its home market.

Last year, it was placed outside the top ten best-selling cars in Japan in 15th place according to JADA sales data. Quite a fall from grace for a model that once broke a 33-year podium record held by the Toyota Corolla.

Meanwhile, the decision to replace the tall, unique appearance of the Jazz with a low, conventional design of the City Hatchback in Malaysia proved fruitful.

The City Hatchback retains the ingenious and versatile practicality of the Jazz's ULTRA seats while also providing among the most ample rear legroom in its class.

Indeed, I was reeling from the loss of the Jazz when I took the pre-facelift City Hatchback for a review a couple of years ago. Yet, I was very impressed at how worthy of a successor it turned out that I was willing to forgive and forget that the new Jazz is only available in markets deemed “mature” like Europe, Australia, and Singapore.

Malaysians in general are also falling in love with the City Hatchback. While some recond dealers bring the Japanese-spec Honda Fit into Malaysia, few buyers are willing to pay around RM 130k for one. Unlike the Stepwgn or N-Box, the JDM Jazz is proving to be unsuccessful in the recond market.

City Hatchback continues to be a smash hit

Three years on, the City Hatchback plays its own tune in jazzing up the B-segment hatchback market. Having the once familiar unique tall-boy design to be replaced by a conventional but sporty appearance does seem risky at first but with nearly 30,000 units sold in Malaysia to date, it is paying off.

The City Hatchback truly is the coolest hatchback on the block that suits Malaysian tastes. It meets the expectations of local users for style, practicality, performance, and value for money.

Honda Malaysia launched the new 2024 Honda City Hatchback facelift a couple of weeks ago which has a few subtle visual updates and a few major feature upgrades.

The front and rear bumpers as well as the front grille are given a bit of nip and tuck to remain as fresh as ever. The RS variants gain a sporty kit and are now available in both petrol and hybrid guises.

Powertrains remain the same with a choice of a 1.5-litre DOHC i-VTEC petrol unit (121 PS/145 Nm) or a 1.5-litre e:HEV powertrain (Engine: 98 PS/127 Nm, Motor: 109 PS/253 Nm). Both units are paired to a CVT and e-CVT respectively.

All variants aside the base S now receive a new 8-inch high-definition infotainment head unit with Apple CarPlay (CP) and Android Auto (AA) connectivity. RS variants receive support for wireless CP and AA as well as a 7-inch semi-digital instrument cluster.

Safer than any of its rivals, regardless of budget

The biggest update for the City Hatchback facelift though lies in the safety features with Honda SENSING offered as standard across all 5 variants. This ADAS suite comprises:

• 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)
• Lead Car Departure Notification System (LCDN)
• Low-speed Follow (LSF) - RS e:HEV only

Besides an active safety suite as standard, there are also enhanced passive safety features on all variants including 6 airbags. Disc brakes are also standard on all variants except for the base S while Honda CONNECT is available as standard on both RS variants.

Prices for the 2024 Honda City Hatchback facelift in Malaysia are as follows:

• 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

This post is sponsored by Honda Malaysia