The 2023 Honda City sedan facelift (GN-series) has just been launched in Malaysia, coming with a quite comprehensive variant shake-up and a new host of standard features. Prices naturally have gone up a bit, with the range now tagged as below:

• 1.5 S: RM 84,900
• 1.5 E: RM 89,900
• 1.5 V: RM 94,900
• 1.5 RS Petrol: RM 99,000
• 1.5 RS e:HEV: RM 111,900

Across the board, prices have went up by 2% to 10%. The pre-facelift City range was priced from RM 77,600 (1.5 E) to RM 108,800 (RS e:HEV).

You'd have noticed 'V Sensing' is now gone, and in place is the 'RS Petrol' variant. Like it says on the badge, it gets the RS complement of exterior and interior trimmings, minus the hybrid powertrain.

Elsewhere, the breadth of updates extended to all variants are an exterior and cabin nip-and-tuck, besides Honda Sensing ADAS now becoming standard fare. Let's dive in.

Exterior updates

First things first: new front- and rear bumpers, fresh grille, and updated diffuser are what every car gets. RS variants get a little extra by way of a lower bumper garnish. Either way, the new look actually elongates the car a bit (by 27 mm), so the overall length of the City sedan now measures 4,580 mm. Headroom and all that remain as they've been.

Also read: New vs old: Comparing the pre-facelift to the updated 2023 Honda City, and what to expect in Malaysia

On the sides there's new wheels too: 15-inchers on the S and E variants, and 16-inch units on the V and RS.

Interior updates

Inside, the instrumentation for the S, E, and V variants now gain a colour 4.2-inch multi-info display (MID) nestled between the two analogue dials (similar to what's on the WR-V), while the RS cars get a 7-inch semi-digital cluster.

Most of the cabin remains the same, save for a set of new seats for the RS; no more leather-suede combo, but synthetic leather pews all around now. The red panel by the dashboard and red stitching are limited to the RS variants only.

Also read: Launching in Malaysia by 2023: These are the sedans and MPVs you can look forward to

Paddle shifters are now on every variant, and so is remote engine start, so that's nice for buyers of even the lower-rung cars.

Connectivity updates span USB-C output replacing the old USB-A ports at the back, while the the 8-inch infotainment display stays for the E variant and above. Having said that, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is wired for the E and V variants; wireless phone sync is reserved only for the RS.

The S variant keeps the standard, Bluetooth-enabled player, and doesn't get USB ports at the back.

Safety updates

Big news, Sensing is now available on all variants. Here's the list of features that every City sedan type gets:

• 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)

Passive safety also gets a boost; all variants of the City sedan now get six airbags, and for cars equipped with the 8-inch infotainment, the reverse camera is a new, high-definition type.

Capping the safety updates are rear disc brakes for the V, RS Petrol, and RS e:HEV variants.

Powertrain

The one thing that stays the same is the powertrain, of which there remains two choices:

• 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)

Claimed fuel consumption for the petrol variants are 5.6 litres/100 km, while the hybrid one is claimed to do 3.6 litres/100 km.

Deliveries and aftersales

Bookings of the model have been opened since July 2023, and customers can get their car as soon as this month. As before, the City sedan is backed by a 5-year, unlimited mileage warranty, while the RS e:HEV's hybrid battery gets an 8-year/unlimited mileage deal.

Also read: Refueling and hypermiling banned: KL-Penang-KL with just 1 tank, can the hybrid Honda City e:HEV RS do it?