Honda Archives

Honda Memperkenalkan City Dan WR-V Edisi Khas Eksklusif Untuk Rakyat Malaysia

Honda Malaysia telah melancarkan varian Edisi Khas bagi dua model popular mereka, City dan WR-V, masing-masing terhad kepada 99 unit sahaja, bertujuan menarik minat peminat kereta tempatan dengan penambahbaikan eksklusif dan sporty.

City V Edisi Khas

Edisi Khas City V menampilkan rupa sporty yang diperbaharui dengan tambahan seperti Spoiler Depan, Sisi, dan Belakang, serta lambang Edisi Khas. Selain itu, ia dilengkapi dengan Perakam Video Digital (DVR), Lampu Kaki, Hiasan Langkah Sisi, dan Trunk Tray. Ciri-ciri ini melengkapi varian City V yang sedia ada dengan:

Lapan pembesar suara
Tempat duduk belakang 60:40
Ruang kargo 519 liter
Enam beg udara
Sistem Honda SENSING dengan lapan ciri keselamatan
Walk Away Auto Lock

City telah menjadi model yang popular di Malaysia sejak diperkenalkan pada 2001, dengan lebih 450,000 unit terjual sehingga kini. Generasi kelima facelift yang dilancarkan pada Ogos 2023 telah mencapai lebih daripada 26,200 unit jualan.

WR-V RS Edisi Khas

WR-V RS Edisi Khas pula menarik perhatian dengan tambahan seperti Spoiler Bawah Depan, Tepi dan Belakang, lambang Edisi Khas, DVR hadapan, Finisher Paip Ekzos, Penutup Lining Panel Belakang, dan Hiasan Step Belakang. Model ini dirancang untuk memenuhi keperluan mereka yang mencari SUV kecil yang serba boleh dengan sentuhan eksklusiviti. WR-V RS juga dilengkapi dengan sistem keselamatan Honda SENSING dan telah memperoleh penarafan lima bintang daripada ASEAN NCAP.

Sejak dilancarkan, lebih 13,400 unit WR-V telah dijual di Malaysia, dengan varian RS menjadi yang paling popular, menyumbang 53% daripada jumlah jualan.

Harga dan Ketersediaan

City V Edisi Khas: RM94,900 dengan tambahan surcaj RM300 untuk warna Platinum White Pearl.
WR-V RS Edisi Khas: RM107,900 dalam warna Stellar Diamond Pearl.

Kedua-dua model ini mengekalkan harga yang sama seperti varian biasa mereka, menjadikannya pilihan yang berbaloi dengan ciri tambahan yang eksklusif. WR-V RS Edisi Khas akan tersedia di bilik pameran Honda mulai 12 September 2024, manakala City V Edisi Khas akan tiba pada akhir September 2024.

Pelanggan yang berminat boleh mengunjungi pengedar Honda sah atau menghubungi Honda Malaysia untuk maklumat lanjut dan tempahan.

Honda Introduces City And WR-V Special Editions Exclusively For Malaysians

Honda Malaysia has introduced Special Edition variants of two of its most popular models, the City and WR-V, each limited to just 99 units. These exclusive models are designed to create excitement in their respective segments and offer unique enhancements to further captivate Malaysian car enthusiasts.

City V Special Edition

The City V Special Edition brings a refreshed exterior with sporty enhancements, including Front, Side, and Rear Under Spoilers, along with a Special Edition emblem. For added convenience and style, it includes a front Honda Digital Video Recorder (DVR), Foot Light, Side Step Garnishes, and a Trunk Tray. These features build upon the already well-equipped City V variant, which includes:

Eight speakers
60:40 Split Rear Seat
519 litres of cargo space
Six airbags
Advanced Honda SENSING with eight safety features
Walk Away Auto Lock

The City has enjoyed widespread popularity in Malaysia since its 2001 debut, with over 450,000 units sold to date. The current fifth-generation facelifted model, introduced in August 2023, has sold more than 26,200 units.

WR-V RS Special Edition

The WR-V RS Special Edition is designed to appeal to those seeking a versatile small SUV with added exclusivity. It features Front, Side, and Rear Under Spoilers, a Special Edition emblem, a front DVR, an Exhaust Pipe Finisher, a Rear Panel Lining Cover, and Rear Step Garnishes. These upgrades enhance the WR-V RS’s appearance and value, making it a standout in the small SUV segment.

Since its launch, more than 13,400 units of the WR-V have been sold in Malaysia, with the RS variant being the most popular, accounting for 53% of total sales. The WR-V RS is equipped with Honda SENSING and earned a five-star rating from ASEAN NCAP.

Pricing and Availability

City V Special Edition: Priced at RM94,900 with an additional RM300 surcharge for the Platinum White Pearl colour.
WR-V RS Special Edition: Priced at RM107,900 in Stellar Diamond Pearl.

Both models maintain the same pricing as their regular variants, offering excellent value with exclusive features. The WR-V RS Special Edition will be available for viewing at Honda dealerships starting 12 September 2024, followed by the City V Special Edition at the end of September 2024.

Interested customers can visit Honda authorised dealerships or contact Honda Malaysia for more details or to secure their units.

Honda Malaysia Introduces Special Edition Models of the City V and the WRV

Honda Malaysia has introduced special edition models for the popular Honda WRV as well as the Honda City.

The Honda WRV, a small, versatile SUV that has been quite popular among Malaysians with over 13,400 units sold, now comes with aesthetic upgrades that will appeal to those looking to distinguish themselves from the rest of the WRV crowd.

The new WRV offers a touch of exclusivity with new exterior upgrades such as a new front, side and rear skirtings, or under spoilers as some call it. Further distinguishing the special edition model from the rest of the pack is a chrome exhaust pipe finisher, or exhaust tip.

You also get something Honda calls a rear panel lining cover, or otherwise known as anti-scratch boot sill. This is particularly useful to avoid scratching the boot liner when storing and removing items.

And to avoid unnecessary spending, the special edition WRV also gets a Digital Video Recorder (dash cam), as standard. Just so that everyone knows that you are driving something unique, the WRV also comes with a Special Edition emblem on the boot lid.

Everything else remains the same. You still get a versatile interior that can accommodate active lifestyles with foldable seats, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as safety systems that include eight systems that make up the Honda Sensing safety suite.

The special edition Honda City on the other hand (not available for photos as of publishing) also gets a refreshed exterior with new front, side and rear skirts. You also get a Special Edition emblem that is also placed on the boot lid.

Inside, the new City offers a Honda Digital Video Recorder, foot lights that light up the foot wells, side step garnishes and a trunk tray for added convenience.

These updates are limited to the Honda City V variant only and the car has other notable features such as an eight speaker sound system, 60:40 split rear seats, 519 litres of boot space, six airbags, Honda Sensing suite with eight safety features, and walk away auto lock.

The Honda City Special Edition is available at RM94,900 but if you opt for the Platinum White Pearl Colour, that will set you back an additional RM300.

The Honda WRV Special Edition on the other hand is priced at RM107,900, and is available in Stellar Diamond Pearl colour only.

Honda Malaysia will showcase the WRV special edition models at its dealerships starting today (12 September, 2024), while the City special edition will be available for viewing at the of September, 2024.

For inquiries, you can call Honda Malaysia’s toll-free number at 1800-8-2020 or log on to www.honda.com.my.

Review: Revisiting the Honda Civic 1.5L Turbo – Is it Still Worth the Buy?

Honda has done many things right with its cars, which is why there are thousands of Honda fanboys out there. This writer is one of them. Whether it is a performance-based car or a comfort-based car, Honda excels in both.

The 10th and 11th generation Honda Civic, however, successfully combines both. It is just that the 11th generation does it better.

The Civic dates back to 1972 and came equipped with a 1,169 cc four-cylinder water-cooled engine and featured front disc brakes, reclining vinyl bucket seats, simulated wood trim on the dashboard, as well as optional air conditioning.

At that time, that was impressive. But this writer grew up with the fifth generation onwards and during my school days, we used to take a friend’s Civic EG9 and hit the car meets. On Friday nights, we used to get on the highways to just listen to that engine opening up when the V-TEC kicked in was pretty much what stole the heart of this writer.

It was not that comfortable because the older ones were more performance-oriented builds. Those who had them most definitely did not keep them stock because it was almost impossible to do so.

Along came the eight-generation Civic which introduced performance and a little more comfort. Keep in mind that we are not talking about the Type R’s. We are keeping it to the standard variants here. The eighth gen made quite a name here as enthusiasts who could not afford the Type R variant would buy the standard ones and convert or modify it.

When the ninth generation was introduced, it was a bit of a letdown because it looked like it was marketed more towards working-class people. Although it had the FK2 Type R, the car itself was not that memorable.

Now the 10th-generation Civic also known as the Civic “Ketam” here in Malaysia is still one of the most popular generation Civics here. Every corner of the world you go to, you are sure to bump into a Civic. It is at every car show, car meet and race. This generation introduced the iconic FK8 Type R which made those who had the standard variant pump out money for the conversion. This was slightly more spacious and comfortable, yet it was still a beast on the road.

On to the latest generation, Honda’s new interior design language which looks great for these set of eyes, also adds a little touch of sophistication. This translates into a more grown-up and matured look. The 2024 Honda CR-V features this same look with the honeycomb-designed vents which again looks pleasing to the eye. To those of you who use the traditional vents to attach your phone holders, sorry but you will not be able to do so with this design.

This writer is one of those who use those phone holders and at first, I was annoyed that I could not do so but then I remembered that I use that for the sole purpose of navigation and the Civic has wireless Apple CarPlay, so there, problem solved. For the android users, it also features Android Auto Connectivity.

This is accessible through the nine-inch advanced display infotainment screen which is easy to understand as to how straightforward it is. No complications when it comes to navigating through the contents of the infotainment screen which will save you some time in case you are in a hurry and need to get the GPS going. What we like is that the screen serves its purpose of doing the necessities. What do we mean by that? Well, modern cars these days are implementing simple control functions such as air-conditioning settings and drive modes into the infotainment screen. This means extra steps are needed for you to access those functions and while you are driving, it can be distracting.

Honda keeps it simple with physical buttons and controls that are also found on the steering wheel which allows you to make quick changes without taking your eyes off the road. Things such as skipping to the next track from your Spotify playlist can be done even without looking at the steering wheel because you will get used to the feel and touch of where the buttons are located. Speaking of Spotify, the music is channelled back to the cabin through eight speakers which sound decent.

Ever since the discontinuation of the Accord here in Malaysia, the Civic has had some pretty big shoes to fill in terms of comfort and spaciousness. Just for the record, this writer has a big build and comfort is one of the utter most important elements I look for in a car, besides the performance. The Civic did not let me down.

The seats were remarkably comfortable, and the leg space was decent enough for me to not have cramps on long journeys. My passengers had nothing to complain about in terms of spaciousness and comfort and they were amazed by the standards Honda has set for the Civic.

However, as a driver, there was one minor thing that was bugging me. The field of view from the rearview mirror was not as wide or high as I would have liked it to be. If there are tall rear seat passengers, that would have hindred rearward visibility. It was a minor inconvenience but then again, I remembered a quote that says “The windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror, because where we are going is more important than where we have been.”

Another minor issue is that the car is quite low. This means senior citizens may struggle to get out of the car.

Now that we have got that out of the way, onto the fun part, the performance. This turbocharged 1.5L four-cylinder surprised me in a good way. It allows you to easily touch 200km/h without you even noticing and that is scary. The engine puts out 184PS which may not sound like a lot but it is more than enough. It gives you 240Nm of torque, allowing brisk overtaking and making highway driving more fun.

This may not be an EG9, but it is equally as fun and driving it brought back good memories. There is a very slight delay before the power actually kicks in when you put your foot down so the 0-100km/h will take you 8.5 seconds, slightly slower compared to the e:HEV variant that does it in 7.9 seconds. However, the e:HEV variant has a top speed of 180km/h while the petrol variant can reach 200km/h.

But of course, speeding is never safe and we don’t advocate it, so we tested out the real-world driving scenarios. This means monitoring the fuel consumption.

According to Honda, this variant has a 6.3L/km fuel consumption. When we got the car at full tank, we had about 450km of range and we did the real-world driving test for about three days. We got an average of 8.0L/km which is not bad, and when we passed the car back to Honda, it still had about 190km of range left, which again, is still not bad considering the amount of testing that was carried out.

So, is the Honda Civic 1.5L Turbo still worth the buy? Well, when I handed the keys back to Honda Malaysia, my heart sank a little knowing that it may be some time till I get to drive it again. The pricing of the Civic starts from RM132,000 and goes all the way up to RM168,000. This variant that we tested, the 1.5L Turbo RS is priced at RM152,000, which we think is a good amount considering the quality, performance and comfort that the car is offering.

Specifications

Engine: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder, Turbo

Power: 182PS

Torque: 240Nm

Transmission: Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT)

Price (as tested): RM151,900

We like: Performance, Comfort, Looks

We don’t like: Field of view for the rearview mirror

Honda Malaysia Sambut Merdeka dengan Rebat Istimewa Sehingga RM8,000 Untuk Semua Model 2024

Sempena bulan Merdeka, Honda Malaysia melancarkan Kempen Ganjaran Merdeka Jiwa Madani, menawarkan rebat eksklusif kepada pelanggan. Kempen ini bertujuan meraikan kemerdekaan Malaysia dengan memberikan diskaun menarik untuk semua model 2024, menjadikannya masa yang sesuai untuk rakyat Malaysia memandu pulang Honda baharu. Tawaran ini sah untuk kenderaan yang didaftarkan antara 15 dan 31 Ogos 2024.

Kempen ini menonjolkan komitmen Honda Malaysia untuk menghargai pelanggan setianya sambil meraikan perayaan kebangsaan yang penting. Rebat ini tersedia untuk pelbagai model Honda, memastikan ada sesuatu untuk semua orang, sama ada mereka mencari kereta bandar kompak atau SUV yang lebih luas.

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Honda Malaysia Celebrates Merdeka with Special Rebates Up to RM8,000 Across All 2024 Models

In conjunction with Merdeka month, Honda Malaysia has launched the Merdeka Jiwa Madani Reward Campaign, offering exclusive rebates to customers. The campaign, aimed at celebrating Malaysia’s independence, provides attractive discounts on all 2024 models, making it an ideal time for Malaysians to drive home a new Honda. The offer is valid for vehicles registered between 15 and 31 August 2024.

This promotion underscores Honda Malaysia’s commitment to rewarding its loyal customers while marking this important national celebration. The rebates cater to a wide range of Honda models, ensuring that there’s something for everyone, whether they’re looking for a compact city car or a more spacious SUV.

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Honda Merancang untuk Menghidupkan Semula NSX Sebagai EV Menjelang 2028

Shinji Aoyama, Naib Presiden Eksekutif Global Honda, baru-baru ini mendedahkan rancangan syarikat itu untuk menghasilkan kenderaan elektrik yang sporty dalam masa terdekat, yang berpotensi menghidupkan semula papan nama NSX yang ikonik. Dalam sebuah acara semasa Minggu Kereta Monterey, Aoyama menyatakan bahawa model sport elektrik baharu ini mungkin dilancarkan antara 2027 dan 2028, namun, nama NSX mungkin tidak digunakan untuk model tersebut.

“Kami akan memperkenalkan model sport pada 2027 atau 2028,” kata Aoyama. “Kami mungkin tidak memanggilnya NSX. Ia sejenis kenderaan jenis NSX,” tambahnya, memberikan bayangan tentang arah tuju model baharu itu.

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Honda Plans to Revive the NSX as a Sporty EV by 2028

Shinji Aoyama, Honda’s Global Executive Vice President, has revealed that the company is planning to produce a sporty electric vehicle in the coming years, potentially reviving the legendary NSX nameplate. Speaking at a media roundtable during Monterey Car Week, Aoyama hinted at the possibility of this new electric sports car being launched between 2027 and 2028.

“We are going to introduce the sports model in 2027 or 2028,” Aoyama stated. “We may not call it NSX. It’s kind of an NSX type of vehicle,” according to a report.

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Review: Honda City Hatchback Facelift – Efficiency Done Right

Purchasing a new car can be a tough choice. There are many things to factor in such as size, fuel efficiency, performance, quality, brand and aftersales service.

Convenience is also something we all look for when purchasing a new car. With the size of cars getting bigger and bigger by the day, convenience while driving through cities or towns can be limited.

Why? Well mainly because these streets were not built for the monsters we have on the roads today. So, what would be a convenient family car to get for city driving? The Honda City hatchback would be a good choice and if you did not already know, Honda Malaysia launched the City hatchback Facelift back in May of this year.

Honda Malaysia launched the City hatchback in 2021 and till May 2024, they have sold 28,700 units of it. Talk about popularity.

There difference between the pre-facelift and the facelift models are mostly cosmetics with a few tech upgrades. The dimensions are just slightly different with the RS facelift variants being longer due to the bumpers. The powertrain remains the same as before. The variant we tested out was the 1.5L RS e:HEV, which is the top-of-the-line variant among the five available variants.

Visually it looks good with the revised front grille, front lower grille, LED fog lights with garnish, side sill garnish, rear bumper lower garnish and the Berlina black 16” alloy wheels. Just that from certain angles, the tyre fitment may look a little off. But of course, those who love modifying your cars can resolve this minor issue.

Performance-wise for the e:HEV, the Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD) hybrid system incorporates a 107hp electric motor that powers the front wheels with 253 Nm of torque. This motor draws energy from a lithium-ion battery, which is recharged by a secondary electric motor linked to a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated DOHC i-VTEC four-cylinder engine operating on an Atkinson cycle.

The petrol engine delivers 97hp at 5,600 to 6,400 rpm and 127Nm of torque at 4,500 to 5,000 rpm. Although primarily functioning as a generator, it can engage via a single-speed E-CVT to provide direct drive to the wheels at higher speeds, where it achieves its most efficient performance.

Now although it packs a punch throughout the city, we found that it lacks that punch on highways. The amount of torque delivered when we put our foot down on the highways showed us that there is a certain amount of lag before the power kicks in and it was slightly frustrating, especially on clear highways.

However, when we were driving around Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh we noticed that there was enough power that makes the City hatchback an agile and convenient car throughout the city. Swerving through traffic and tight spaces was brisk simply because the hatchback is not a big car. The only thing that was annoying is that there is still no blind spot monitoring. If you have been following our Honda reviews, you will know that we are not big fans of Honda’s lane watch system.

We also had to bear in mind that this car is not a performance-oriented car and that we were testing it for practicality and comfort. So, with that in mind, we focused on things like boot space, seating configurations and most importantly, fuel consumption.

Now given that this is the hybrid variant, we knew that range anxiety was never going to be an issue. So, from KL to Ipoh and back to KL, how many times did we have to fuel up? Once. Just one fuelling session was needed for this car. When we reached KL after Ipoh, we still had more than half a tank of fuel left! Which in our books, is rather impressive.

Honda Malaysia gave us a challenge to carry out to see which team had the best fuel consumption. The ones that participated managed to get an average of 26.75km/l which is amazing given that everything was done with real-world-like situations. As in no folded side mirrors to reduce drag, no turning off the air conditioning and no stopping to refuel as Honda Malaysia had sealed the fuel tank cover with a tamper-proof sticker.

Speaking of real-world-like situations, we know there are some out there with a heavy foot and just want to get to their destination as fast and as safely as possible. We were one of those. Even with our foot down, following the speed limits of course, we managed to get an average of 18.61km/l and still have more than half a tank of fuel left. So, we are happy to give this car a perfect score for fuel consumption.

As we mentioned, the City hatchback is not a big car and it shows on the inside. If you’re built like this writer, you will definitely find it a little bit uncomfortable sitting at the back. The leg space is decent but there is barely any headroom because of how the rear of the car curves down. Taller passengers will find this to be a tad uncomfortable.

Over to the front, if both the driver and passenger are big in size, then you might find your elbows touching each other quite often, which is not something you want happening on a two to three-hour drive. However, these are just minor issues that we faced and were not that bothered about it.

There were three of us travelling in the car, each having two bags: one luggage bag and one laptop bag. Was there enough space? Not really as the boot space is only around 289 litres, which is actually 230 litres less than the sedan City! So only five of the six bags could fit in the boot while one laptop bag had to be put in the rear seat. However, if no one is seated at the back, the seats can be folded, expanding the space to 841 litres.

Long drives can be tiring at times especially if you have your foot down all the time. This is where the adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist and lane departure warning come into play. It is easy to use and you do not have to navigate your way through a screen to find all these settings as the buttons are on the steering wheel. Kudos to Honda for keeping physical buttons!

Since we are on the topic of long drives, there is another factor that led us to be just a little bit annoyed. The subtle road noise which enters the cabin. Unlike the CR-V e:HEV RS variant that comes with wheel resonators, this City Hatchback lacks it.

The noise seeping in was not that loud but it was noticeable. So, to drown that out, we turned up the music volume which by the way is channelled through four speakers. The eight-inch display audio’s IPS (In-Plane Switching) colour reproduction has been enhanced to give us a clearer and sharper image, although we found the reverse camera to be a tad bit grainy.

The most important feature, in our books at least, is the availability of Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto, which the Honda City Hatchback facelift has. For those of you who know, we cannot live without these features. The cherry on top is that it is wireless!

Overall, the car felt solid and did not lack anything major so if you are a fan of hatchbacks, this is one to consider. Prices start at RM85,900 for the lowest variant but if you want the RS hybrid which we enjoyed, it will cost you RM112,900.

Specifications: 1.5L e:HEV RS Hybrid

Engine: 4 Cylinder, 16 Valve, DOHC i-VTEC (Atkinson Cycle)

Power: 109PS @ 3500rpm

Torque: 253Nm from 0 rpm

Gearbox: e-CVT

0-100km/h: 9.7 seconds

Top speed: 177km/h

Price: RM112,900 (as tested)

We like: Fuel consumption, agility and looks.

We don’t like: LaneWatch and cabin noise