2014 Honda Civic Facelift - Lower Price from RM114k

 Honda Malaysia has never fail to surprise us in terms of pricing and equipment level, not unlike the introductory of the facelifted Honda Civic FB. Priced from RM113,800 OTR including insurance for the 1.8S variant, it is cheaper by RM2,180 compared to its pre-facelift's price. No, reduction in price doesn't mean reduction in features too. The Civic 1.8S now comes with additional keyless entry with push-start button, cruise control and auto headlights, while existing Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) is retained. Airbags count remains at two. 

As for the 2.0S, it is now sold at RM125,800 OTR with insurance, and that's RM6,180 cheaper than the pre-facelift model! Similar to the 1.8S, the 2.0S also gets auto headlights, as well as 6 airbags now! Top-of-the-line 2.0 Navi now comes with a slightly larger 7-inch infotainment screen with navigation (6.1-inch in the pre-facelift). Selling OTR with insurance at RM132,800, which is RM4,180 cheaper than the pre-facelift model.

Mechanicals have been left unchanged. The 1.8 litre VTEC engine still produces 141PS/174Nm of torque while the 2.0 litre VTEC engine churns out 155PS/190Nm of  torque. It's pretty hard to spot the changes of this facelift exercise. The Civic gains a new honeycomb grille as well as a chrome strip in the middle of the lower air intake grille. On the inside, chrome surrounded the driver's air-cond vents. 

The improved spec of the Civic 2.0S makes it a stronger contender in the C-segment market. This will definitely give its closest competitor from the big 'T' a run for its money.

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2014 Honda Jazz Open For Booking!

 Third-generation Honda Jazz is a whole new beast. More aggressive and sharper than its predecessor, the 2014 Honda Jazz will be available in Malaysia in mid-July 2014 in CKD form. Best of all, booking is open from now on! Booking made from now to July 15 will be entitled to 2.53% financing and will be in the running to win a trip to the Maldives!

The Jazz has the same powerplant found in the City. A 1.5 i-VTEC engine with 120PS at 6600rpm and 145Nm at 4600rpm. Paired with a CVT gearbox,

What we know now is the Jazz will be available in S, E and V variant, similar to what the City is having now (except for the S+ variant). The initial spec sheet suggests that the Jazz (most likely the top variant) will be equipped with tons of features such as 6 airbags, VSA, HSA, touch panel auto air-cond, smart entry with push start button and 16-inch alloys. Yes, the practical ULTRA Seats is standard across the range!

Pricing wise? Everyone is hoping that the base model will have sub-RM70k pricing. Then it will be giving its competitors serious run for their money! Since the Jazz has a smaller footprint compared to the City, people will be expecting the Jazz's price to be lower than the latter. 

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DRIVEN: 2014 Honda City !

 Everybody was asking the same question when Honda Malaysia first rolled out the all-new 4th generation Honda City: "Is it better than the 3rd generation Toyota Vios?". We'll soon find out. Being an owner of the 2nd generation City myself, I was eager to find out how much has the City improved, especially when CVT gearbox makes its comeback ever since the 2nd generation, where it went 'missing' in the 3rd generation.

 It's undeniable that the 2014 City looks better than its already quite good looking predecessor. Some say its rear end now looks like a Bimmer, classy indeed. The familiar but improved 1.5 litre i-VTEC engine from the 3rd generation City produces 120PS at 6600rpm and 145Nm of torque at 4600rpm. Coupled with a CVT transmission, the City is capable to achieve 17.5km/l fuel consumption figure. That's pretty close to the 1.2 litre Mitsubishi Attrage which is rated at 21km/l!

The 2014 City is available in S, S+, E and V variant, creating options for either the cost-conscious buyers or the buyers who prefer their cars to be laden with features. It has grown in size too, being 25mm longer but its wheelbase has increased by 50mm to 2600mm, matching one of its B-segment sedan competitors, the Nissan Almera. Sit in the rear seats and you'll be fascinated by the amount of legroom available, although headroom is a little limited to taller people around 180cm and above. Honda claimed that the City is bigger than the Camry in terms of interior space. Well, you be the judge. 

Open the front door and 3 blue rings in the instrument cluster of the Grade V lit up, welcoming you to the rather calm cabin. Piano black centre console is a classy touch, but it's also a fingerprint magnet. Make sure to touch only the 5-inch screen but not anywhere else. If you do, you will also find that the dashboard and door panel are all made of hard plastic, except for the small area above the glove box which is padded (only in Grade V though). The plastic doesn't felt neither as well-built nor comes with as good looking texture as of the Vios. Thankfully, the touchscreen air-cond panel is sensitive to the touch and the leather-wrapped steering wheel felt comfy when gripped. 

Stepped on the brake, pushed in the push-start button and the engine was awaken with a mild jolt. Perhaps the Honda City Hybrid, which is going to be launched later this year, would fair an even better job in creating a more refined start-up. Once on the move, it glided on the road without any noticeable shift-shock, thanks to the CVT gearbox.

I tried to imitate slow-moving traffic jam to bring out the infamous 'rubber band effect' and 'bunny hopping' but my efforts were to no avail. There is also no annoying whine when the gear is engaged in reverse or moving from standstill (by the way, rearward visibility is a little constrained due to the sloping roof line). This proves that Honda has modified and improved its CVT compared to the one found in 2nd generation City. However, it's still unknown on the reliability and durability of this CVT gearbox with Earth Dreams Technology.

Acceleration was a brisk with two adults on board, even on an uphill stretch. As a typical free-revving i-VTEC engine from Honda, the growl is raspy and addictive when it is revved. Not intrusive, but just enough to provoke the inner speed spirit within you. Brakes were strong enough to put the City into a halt rapidly if you are too carried away with the speed. Handling was good for a car of its class, however the steering feel was a let down, dull and uninspiring. It will be a boon in the city and when parking the City though. Suspension setup was slightly on the firm side, but still manage to isolate many road undulations with pride. 

The all-new Honda City is a better product compared to its predecessor, and is offered with more variants (and lower price) to make it more appealing to bigger range of customers. All in all, the all-new City is not exactly a winner in the ever-competitive B-segment. It has its areas to shine, but as a whole, there's still some catching up need to be done. 

Only time will tell on the durability of the newly designed CVT gearbox, one of the greatest problems occur in the 2nd generation Honda City. But considering the super stylish design, responsive powertrain, class-leading features and ample cabin space, the Honda City makes a good option when shopping for a B-segment sedan. 

+ Equipment for the high specs, styling, performance, rear legroom.
- Cabin materials, rearward visibility, CVT's reliability is still questionable.

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FIRST IMPRESSION: 2014 Honda City !

Being a owner of the 2nd generation Honda City VTEC Facelift, I anticipated greatly the arrival of the latest 4th generation Honda City i-VTEC in Malaysia. More striking styling, larger cabin, loaded with more comfort creatures and safety features are the unique selling points of the City, along with a lower price tag (for the entry level variant) compared to its predecessor. Yes, the cheapest City S is selling at RM75,800, while S+ variant at RM78,800, E variant at RM83,800 and the top-of-the-line V variant at RM90,800, all on-the-road with insurance. 

No doubt it's a much better looking car now, especially when compared with the older generations. Checking out the dark blue City V in the showroom which attracted me with the sharp looking 16-inch alloys (S comes with a 15-inch steel cover while S+ and E wear 15-inch alloys) and the sleek profile. The best view angle of the all-new City must be the 3/4 rear view.

Platinum grille on the V variant (silver finishing for S while chrome for S+ and E). It attracts and make unwanted oily fingerprints more apparent than chrome in my opinion. 

Open the door and you'll be greeted with 3 striking blue rings in the instrument panel. Love this setting, it offers a sporty and distinctive characteristic to the cabin in the dark. My 2nd gen's instrument panel will also light up in red when the door is opened too, which is one of my favourite features in the cabin. Shown here is the most expensive V variant, which comes with 5-inch touchscreen, push-start button and touchscreen air-cond control, so expect the lower variants have lesser equipment loaded in the cabin. 

Material used for this City has improved, with nice texture on the plastic and smooth leather finishing on the steering wheel and gear knob (for V variant only). However, I still feel that Vios has a little advantage in this area, thanks to its slightly better built and stitch-like moulding on the dashboard. 

Since the wheelbase has grown for 500mm to 2600mm (identical to Nissan Almera), it provides a spacious cabin to the occupants especially at the rear. With the front seats positioned to suit my height of 180cm, I still have ample legroom at the back seat, however the rear headroom is a little restricted for me. The City offers more space than in the Almera, since the cabin of the City is wider than the latter. One of the largest B-segment cabins in the market. 

Eventhough the boot space is measured at 536 litres, a D-segment sedan boot size, somehow it doesn't look as long and deep as in my 2nd gen City. One good innovation - There are two levers in the boot that you can pull to fold the rear seats, a nifty and convenient feature. 

Can't comment any further on the 1.5 litre i-VTEC powertrain and CVT gearbox until I have a chance to test drive it. Hopefully Honda has made some changes to the CVT gearbox to make it more durable and smoother in operation. 

The question is - Should I get one? Yes you should if you are looking for a fuel efficient (17.5km/l) and spacious family car or a young executive who want a stylish B-segment Japanese sedan. Which variant? E variant would has the best value for money, which comes with VSA, keyless entry with push-start button and rear air-cond, to name a few. If you are safety conscious, go for V.

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2014 Honda City Previewed @ Paradigm Mall !

The 2014 Honda City's launch date is just around the corner and Honda Malaysia is giving the public a sneak peek before its official launch. The first stop (21-23 Feb) in the country is in Paradigm Mall, Kelana Jaya, where the bottom half of the Honda City is enclosed within a glass box. Everyone can still have a peek through the closed windows, but the reflection on the windows make it hard to have a clear view of the interior.

The overall design of the 2014 Honda City is an evolution of its predeccessor. The front end has cues of the Euro-spec Civic Hatchback while the rear end is more mature and elegant than previously. Interesting curves and contours on the body works, but the horizontal dip line on the doors doesn't quite appeal to me. The 2014 City comes in 4 variants: E, E+, S and V. One of the Sales Advisors told me the City shown here is the S-spec. From my enquiries, I acknowledged that E comes with wheel cover instead of the 15-inch alloy shown here, while the V variant will get a 16-inch alloy design.  

Spec wise, S variant gets goodies such as VSA, smart entry, steering controls and side mirror turning lights, but a little disappointing to know that S variant still carries rear drum brakes and comes with no fog lights. Top-of-the-line V variant receives 6 airbags, cruise control and 7-inch display audio as standard. Good news is rear air conditioning is available across the range! I'm impressed...

In terms of pricing, it is expected to be sold in the estimated price range of RM75k to RM90k. Perhaps Honda Malaysia will give us a surprise where the entry-level E variant will be under RM75k when it is launched? Bear in mind that every variant comes with only CVT automatic gearbox, no manual transmission is being offered for the time being.

*Correction: The comfirmed variants available are S, S+, E and V, where S is the entry level variant right up to the top-of-the-range V variant. 

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Honda Malaysia teases the 2014 Honda City spec !

 Honda Malaysia teases us with the specs of the upcoming 2014 Honda City in its official website! 9 icons are shown, where the description of them are displayed if you rollover the icons. The first row (from left to right) shows the ECON mode, engine start-stop button and 16-inch alloy wheel. The second row shows the 7-inch display audio, cruise control and 1.5 litre i-VTEC engine mated with a CVT gearbox. Lastly, the third row comprises rear air-cond vents, platinum front grille and 6 airbags! 

 While the confirmed 9 specs above are already pretty impressive for a B-segment sedan, there is still no news whether the Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) will make it into the Honda City or not. Fingers crossed that the VSA is standard across the range, and it is not shown in one of the nine icons because mostly the nine of them will only be available in more expensive variant(s). 

Another is the touchscreen panel for the automatic air-conditioner, which its fate is also uncertain. Expect leather seats and keyless entry for the more expensive variant as well.

The 2014 Honda City will be launching in Malaysia very soon. Rumours that the City will be priced from RM74k to RM89k. Hopefully Honda Malaysia will be giving 5 years warranty alongside with the value-for-money package. 

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Cars To Watch in Malaysia in 2014 !

Happy New Year 2014! The automotive market is in a tough situation, rising fuel cost and rumour has it that the toll price will gain a hike as well. Nevertheless, the automotive sector will continue to grow with plenty of exciting offering from car manufacturers. Below are some of the worth-paying-attention cars which are going to be launched in this year (in no particular order):

1) Ford Fiesta Ecoboost & Fiesta ST

The highly anticipated 1.0 litre Ecoboost engine will be available for the Ford Fiesta this year. The three-cylinder engine is capable of producing 125PS and 170Nm of torque while sipping fuel at a rate of 5.3l/100km! Estimated price from RM96k to RM99k.

2) Honda City, 4th generation

While Toyota has launched its 3rd generation Vios, Honda will soon introduce the all-new City to our shore. Made its debut in India, the 4th generation City now comes with more space, better quality and luxury (hopefully the touch screen controlled air-cond and rear air-cond vents will make it into our market!). 

3) Mazda 3, 3th generation

The details we received from Mazda are the Mazda 3 will be sold in CBU form at the time it debuts in Malaysia with full SkyActiv technology. Estimated price is RM139k. The sleek looking Mazda 3 will be a good package with good handling, albeit the slightly high pricing. 

4) Mercedes Benz S-Class W222

While the outgoing S-Class W221 still looking great (even the Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng just bought one!) after all these years, Mercedes-Benz introduced the S-Class W222 to the world. Packed with high-end safety features such as Magic Body Control, Night View Assist Plus, Traffic Sign Assist and the list goes on and on and on...

5) Proton P2-30A (Savvy Replacement Model)

No official name has been given to the Proton P2-30A yet (Proton is in the midst of choosing the winning name for P2-30A from a naming contest now), but the P2-30A is slated to launch in the first half of 2014. No details have been released by Proton yet, but from the spyshots it can be deduced that its size should be somewhere in between Viva and Myvi. 

6) Nissan Sylphy, 2nd generation

Not going to comment on how the outgoing Nissan Sylphy fair in the design department, but I can say the 2nd generation Sylphy looks much better! It should be downgraded from a 2.0 litre to a 1.8 litre engine mated with a CVT gearbox for Malaysia's market. The current Sylphy shines in the comfort and NVH department, the all-new Sylphy is expected to do the same or even better!

7) Toyota Corolla Altis, 11th generation

No further introduction needed for the Toyota Corolla Altis, as it is the best selling car in the world. The all-new Altis don a contemporary exterior design, opposed to the conservative design for the outgoing generation. 3 variants will be available - 1.8E, 2.0G and 2.0V, from RM115k-RM137k. Some gripes are VSC is only for top-of-the-range 2.0V and only 2 airbags across the range. Well, at least the Altis is a comfortable and reliable car...

8) Nissan Teana, 3rd generation

The D-segment Japanese Nissan Teana will soon be replaced with an all-new 3rd generation. Initial detail is the Teana will be available with 2.0 litre engine and 2.5 litre non-V6 engine. This will be a car where boss can drive and chauffeured in style. 

9) 2014 Volkswagen Polo Hatchback

The Volkswagen Polo Sedan CKD has an estimated price of RM87,788 on-the-road with insurance, thus the soon-to-be-launch Polo Hatchback CKD should be priced in the region. There's a huge chance that the Polo Hatchback CKD will be priced slightly lower than the Polo Sedan CKD, grabbing the title as the cheapest Volkswagen in Malaysia. Changes include a normally aspirated 1.6 litre MPI engine and tail lights design. 

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4th Generation 2014 Honda City Unveiled in India !

The all-new 4th generation Honda City has been unveiled in India today. It is claimed to be the most fuel efficient diesel car in its segment with the 1.5 litre i-DTEC turbodiesel engine. An improved 1.5 litre i-VTEC petrol engine is selling along with the i-DTEC.

 Design wise, it can be easily identified as a Honda City. It carries the 'Exciting H Design' and 'Solid Wing Face' design language. Moreover, it resembles its predecessor but with slight cues of the European Civic.

The 1.5 litre i-DTEC diesel engine produces 100PS and a staggering 200Nm of torque, but still capable of sipping fuel in 25.8km/L rate! However, it's doubtful that the diesel variant will be available in Malaysia due to our diesel quality.

'Advanced Man Maximum and Machine Minimum' principle created a spacious interior for the City. The City is 1695mm wide, 1480mm tall (grown by 10mm) and 4440mm long. Featuring a wheelbase which is 50mm longer than its predecessor, the 2600mm long wheelbase enables the interior legroom increase by 60mm and knee room by 70mm. Rear passengers can enjoy air-cond outlets located at the back, but this comfort creature is unlikely to make its way into Malaysia.

Some interesting features such as keyless entry with push-start button, 5-inch LCD screen, touchscreen control for air-cond, reverse camera, 8-speaker, 4 power sockets for phone charging, sunroof and cruise control are offered in the City.

The highest E-spec of the current Honda City in Malaysia is fitted with Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), so we can assume that the safety feature will be available in our 4th generation Honda City as well.

Photo credits: Autocar India

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