User Test Drive: A Lot of Improvements over the Older Generation - 2020 Honda City V

Basic Information about the Car

2020 Honda City V

Time of Visit: 2:30 pm

Dealer Name: Ban Lee Heng

Dealer Location: Seremban

Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price: RM86,561 excluding insurance

Dealer Asking Price: As above.

Discount: not applicable as car is very new in the market.

Vehicle Delivery Time: 2 weeks; V spec stocks remain only 2 at the time of test

Purpose

I have listed several cars that I am looking at to replace my current one. While my current focus is the City RS (as I am driving a Jazz Hybrid), I decided to just give the City V a go just to see if there is any improvement over the previous generation City.

Exterior Description

A quick real online and also on WapCar’s WhatsApp group page and you will notice that many think that the previous generation City looks much better than the current one. As for me, I like the looks of both, albeit the facelift one is better in the last generation.

This new City has a nice and cleaner look that the previous one and for me I see that as a progression of the design. The rims on the V specs, while mirrors the same design as the RS, took a bit of time for one to really like it partly because its just too shiny but you will eventually like it. It also gives the City a more grown up look rather than one of a basic offering, and the line up offering is well aligned to what you are paying.

The misses on the exterior? Well I am going to nitpick here, because there is nothing obvious that is going to bother one much. The rims for the base 2 models makes the whole car’s appearance a bit off looking, and no aeroblade wipers when its rivals Persona and Myvi can equip it with one and the biggest no-no for me ( and also my sales associate, who is a friend and also has been working in this branch for 10 years) has to be that Modulo bodykit.

Most carmakers often has this in house option which they like to offer to their customers and Malaysians are known of this; I know a few who prefers having bodykits than more safety kit and most manufacturers in Malaysia knows that. On top of that, most of the bodykits are not well aligned with the design of the car. While the Modulo kits looks well pleasing on the new Civic, it is not the same for the rest of the line up and this includes this City as well.

Interior Description

While I have no issues on the exterior, the interior has gotten me a bit divided when compared to the previous model. The former had a design that will age longer that it is supposed to be, and it looks a bit premium. This newer one, I feel the design has taken a step back. It didn’t wow me in the looks department but on functionality, it certainly improved a lot. The HVAC controllers’ knobs are a welcome return in an ergonomic standpoint of view.

The quality of the car felt better as well. I often laude on the touch and feel of my Jazz as it’s a CBU unit but this City certainly has more expansive feel now. The paddle shifters felt solid and the buttons are nice to touch and press.

Two of the biggest add on’s that is welcomed: the LaneWatch camera and the head unit with Android Auto/Apple Carplay functionality. Other manufacturers could learn a thing or 2 from Honda with this LaneWatch camera as part of an option should one do not want to opt a surround view camera option. I do not need to say anything about the latter, as I feel that this is one of the best thing a manufacture could offer in their line up as standard *looks at Proton*.

However, the interface on the head unit is a different story. It looks cheap, though the response time and the haptic feedback is not that bad. I would not be complaining much as I would be plugging my phone for the Android Auto should I get this City.

Summary

Pros & Cons of the car

Pros

• Pleasant looks

• Good array of options

• “Affordable” point of ownership

• LaneWatch!

• Huge boot space to kidnap people as well, not that I am recommending one to do so. (Please don’t)

Cons

• 4 airbags are better than 2 but could have still made 6 as standard across the range

• Tacky looking Modulo bodykit

• Cheap looking UI on the headunit

• Removal of automatic folding side mirrors was an unnecessary move

• No rear foglamps. Might have been a good move since a lot users out there would switch it on all the time but should have added on as to comply the local regulation here.

My overall feelings toward the car

A quick drive in this new City has shown a lot of improvements over the older one. I would not call it fun, but it is decent enough for a car and one would definitely not regret getting this over the new Almera or to a certain extent, the Proton X50. I have driven the latter as well and while many argue that one should not compare an SUV and a sedan, get this 2 things well: the X50 sits low for an SUV to a point a sedan car owner would not feel any difference when they hop in the X50 and also that the price point is quite close that buyers are simply spoilt for choice in the market.

This however, is only a point of view of the petrol model. I am reserving an overall judgement of this car until I test the eHEV version as well, which should be available by January 2021 as per to what my SA has deduced to me.