The all-new Honda City Hatchback 1.5 RS shows a return to form

MANILA: Honda has truly made the Honda Jazz a household name. First released in 2004, it stood side by side as the five-door sibling of the Honda City. It was an affordable and peppy little hatchback that can be had by those in the market for an affordable, sporty hatchback. 

Unfortunately, Honda Philippines will no longer be releasing the upcoming fourth-generation Honda Jazz. While this has surfaced  feelings of melancholy across the local car community, what we’re getting to replace it isn’t something to sneeze at.

As the 2021 Honda City Hatchback 1.5 RS, was revealed earlier today, the renowned nameplate returns to its ultimate form.

In terms of dimensions, the all-new 2021 Honda City Hatchback 1.5 RS is actually longer and wider than the both the current and upcoming global model of the Honda Jazz, making it a significant upgrade. The longer and wider dimensions provide the Honda City Hatchback with an improved stance for those seeking a sportier-looking hatchback.

Being an RS model, you get go-fast trims like a sporty front and rear bumper accented by high-gloss black trim on the spoiler, grill, and side mirrors. You also get 16 inch, two-tone Berlina Black alloy wheels as well as full LEDs for the headlamps, DRLs and taillamps. It might be difficult to miss the Honda Jazz with the Honda City Hatchback looking this good.

 

Another nail on the Honda Jazz coffin is the Honda City Hatchback’s youthful interior. Partnering with the intuitive eight-inch touchscreen are eight speakers to give you total surround sound. You can easily link your phone thanks to Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and make yourself comfortable with the suede-lined leather seats. It’s not all fun and games though, as the interior is classic Honda. It’s easy to find the right driving position with fully adjustable seats and rake- and tilt-adjustable three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel. The chunky shift lever is also wrapped in the same leather material and together with the steering mounted paddle shifters, give you the best confidence while driving.

 

A feature that defines the Honda CIty in all its iterations are those UTL or Utility, Long, and Tall seats that have been with the model since its second generation here in 2003. This allows you unprecedented versatility with the interior space by giving owners the freedom to adjust the front and rear seats depending on their needs.

You can fold the rear butt-rests up for long-stem plants from your latest plantita (or plantito) haul as well as fold the front seats all the way down, giving you the ultimate in car accomodations: Refresh Mode. If that isn’t enough versatility for you, the rear back-rest folds completely flat on the floor for what I want to call, balikbayan mode. It wouldn’t be a stretch to haul a large flat-screen TV or even an entire freezer at the back should the situation call for it. 

Standard safety features include: smart entry, a multi-view rear camera, dual front with side and side curtain airbags, anti-lock braking system with electronic brakeforce distribution, stability assist, hillstart assist, and emergency stop signals. If you’re wondering if it complies with the  much-talked about Child Protection regulations, yes, it does have Isofix anchors and child lock, to boot.

Activating the push-to-start button brings the all-new 1.5 liter dual overhead cam, naturally aspirated i-VTEC engine to life. It’s the same new engine found in the sedan variant, so we’re well acclimated to its zippy character. It makes a respectable 120hp at  6,600rpm and 145Nm of torque at 4,300rpm. The front MacPherson struts coupled with the torsion beam in the rear promise a smooth drive and pleasurable driving experience. 

The all-new 2021 Honda City Hatchback is now available at all 38 Honda dealerships across the nation with an SRP of P1,115,000 (exclusive of P13,000 safeguard duty cash deposit), and and comes in four colors: Ignite Red Metallic, Meteoroid Gray Metallic, Platinum White Pearl (with an additional P20,000 for the color), and Brilliant Sporty Blue Metallic (available by June 2021).

To know more about the all-new City Hatchback, visit the nearest Honda Cars dealership, or access Honda Cars Philippines, Inc.’s Virtual Showroom through HCPI’s official website at www.hondaphil.com.

Photos from Honda

Also read: Honda PH bids farewell to Jazz