Having made its regional debut back in late 2019 that preceded its Malaysian launch in late 2020, the current Honda City sedan is in line for a facelift and photos from Headlight Mag give us our first clear look at the updates.

The photoset reveals changes on the exterior as well as the interior for the Indian market City sedan before the reported official launch on 23 March 2023.

Some of the changes that we caught include a slimmer chrome trim piece that’s sitting atop a refreshed grille that now sports honeycomb inserts similar to the City RS but with a larger pattern. The grille itself has been reangled towards the headlights for a boxier shape.

The bumper itself is also new, carrying an inverted air intake along the lines of the current model but with a completely new design. Even the lower air intake has received a new pattern. Fog light surrounds are new as well, taking a leaf out of the Honda Civic’s playbook.

Also Read: New 2023 Honda City facelift leaked, gets Civic-inspired looks, March debut likely

At the aft, the diffuser is now much larger with more angular design cues, lending it added aggression from that viewpoint. Lastly, the 16-inch alloy wheels for the VL model have a slightly tweaked design from the current offering.

Inside, changes are kept to a minimum. The Indian-spec car retains its beige interior while the Asean-spec cars like ours should keep the classier all-black cabin.

Earlier, a number of Indian automotive portals did suggest the City will get updates like a wireless charger to keep pace with its rivals. The leaked photos here do show a wireless charger positioned in front of the gear lever although it’s left to be seen if that’s a standard feature or something for the more premium variants.

That sunroof is definitely staying in India though.

Also Read: All-new 2020 Honda City Sedan (GN-series) launched in Malaysia, new engines, from RM 74k

As for the powertrain, it should be identical with either a 1.5-liter naturally-aspirated petrol engine making 121 PS / 145 Nm, a 1.5-litre petrol-electric hybrid with 109 PS / 253 Nm) or a turbocharged 1.0-litre 3-cylinder cranking out 122 PS / 173 Nm). Only the former two engines are the ones offered in Malaysia. India also gets a 1.5-litre turbodiesel engine with 100 PS and 200 Nm. Transmission options comprise a CVT automatic and 6-speed manual but Malaysia only offers the former.

Expect the global launch to be in India on the aforementioned 23 March 2023 followed by the Thai launch before it makes its way to the rest of the region.

Also Read: Review: 2021 Honda City RS e:HEV – Hybrid perfomance for the common man

Given the new Toyota Vios AC100 is just around the corner, the City sedan’s facelift timing couldn’t be a coincidence.

Current pricing for the Honda City sedan in Malaysia is as follows:

• City 1.5 S - RM 77,600
• City 1.5 E - RM 85,600
• City 1.5 V - RM 90,600
• City 1.5 V Sensing - RM 94,600
• City 1..5 RS - RM 108,800

Also Read: Pros and Cons: Honda City 1.5V – Still the most spacious but why no AEB?