Honda City 2022 Review

Today, the competition in Malaysia's B-segment sedan market is fierce. Consumers not only demand fuel efficiency for daily commuting but also prioritize safety features and practical space. The 2022 Honda City 1.5V Sensing is designed to meet these needs. As a mid-to-high-end variant in the series, it not only continues the City series' family-oriented positioning but also highlights the standard Honda Sensing safety system as its core selling point, all while keeping the price at RM 94,900, offering excellent value for money. This test drive will focus on verifying its safety features, practical space, and overall driving balance to see if it can be an ideal choice for family users.

In terms of appearance, the 2022 City 1.5V Sensing adheres to Honda's latest family design language, showcasing a youthful yet understated style. The front features a large blacked-out honeycomb grille, paired with a thick chrome strip that extends to the LED headlights on both sides, offering high recognition. The LED headlights incorporate daytime running lights and support automatic activation, making daily use more convenient. The side profile has smooth lines, with a character line extending from the front fender to the rear, giving the side a dynamic look. The 16-inch wheels are modest in design but proportionate to the body. At the rear, the blacked-out LED taillights use a continuous design, connected in the middle by a slim chrome strip, visually widening the rear. The silver-colored skid plate on the rear bumper adds a touch of sportiness, and the overall design aligns with mainstream aesthetics.

Inside, the cabin features black as the primary color, complemented by silver accents to create a simple and practical atmosphere. The dashboard layout is clear, with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system at the top, supporting the Sound Plus function and offering good operational fluency. Below, it retains physical buttons and knobs for ease of use during driving. In terms of materials, the top of the dashboard is wrapped in soft-touch materials, providing a decent tactile feel that matches this segment. For features, the car comes standard with keyless entry/start, single-zone automatic climate control, rear air-conditioning vents, an 8-speaker audio system, and a 220V/230V power outlet, ensuring convenience for daily use. The seats are manually adjustable, but they offer good support and comfort, making long durations of sitting less tiring. The rear seats can be folded in a 60:40 split configuration, allowing additional trunk space and enhancing practicality.

Regarding space, the City 1.5V Sensing has a 2600mm wheelbase, which is at the mainstream level within the B-segment. The front row seating offers ample space, with a 175cm tall passenger having a fist's worth of headroom after adjusting the seat. The rear row is equally spacious, providing two fists of legroom and one fist of headroom, ensuring comfort even for three adults seated side by side. In terms of storage space, the front center armrest console and door storage compartments are practical, and the rear row is equipped with cup holders and storage pockets. The trunk offers a standard capacity of 519L, which can easily accommodate three 20-inch suitcases, meeting the needs of family outings.

In terms of power, the car is equipped with a 1.5L naturally aspirated engine, delivering a maximum power of 121PS and a peak torque of 145N·m, paired with a CVT transmission. During actual driving, the power response is brisk during the start-up phase, which makes it suitable for urban commuting. Acceleration is smooth with the CVT transmission, and there is no obvious jerking. However, the push-back feeling when flooring the accelerator is not strong, which is expected considering its family-oriented positioning. The official 0-100km/h acceleration time is 10.5 seconds. Overtaking in daily driving requires leaving enough distance ahead. There are two driving modes available: Normal and Eco. In Eco mode, the power output is smoother, making it ideal for users seeking fuel efficiency. The addition of paddle shifters to the steering wheel provides a certain degree of driving pleasure, allowing manual control of simulated gear shifts.

The handling and chassis performance are average. The steering wheel is precise with minimal slack and feels lightweight, making it suitable for women drivers or congested urban traffic situations. The chassis uses a front MacPherson independent suspension and a rear torsion beam non-independent suspension, which is tuned for comfort, absorbing most of the small bumps on the road. When encountering speed bumps or potholes, the suspension shows noticeable bouncing but does not transmit much harsh vibration, which aligns well with the family car positioning. The braking system responds promptly, and the braking distance is moderate, providing sufficient confidence to the driver.

Safety features are a key selling point of the City 1.5V Sensing, coming standard with the Honda Sensing system, which includes functions such as Forward Collision Warning, Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, and Lane Keeping Assist. During the test drive, the Forward Collision Warning system was highly responsive, issuing timely alerts when the distance with the vehicle in front was too close. The Automatic Emergency Braking system effectively intervened during low-speed driving, helping to prevent rear-end collisions. Additionally, the car comes equipped with six airbags, reverse radar, a rearview camera, and hill-start assist, placing its safety performance ahead in its class.

In terms of fuel economy, the official combined fuel consumption is 5.4L/100km. During actual test drives, the urban fuel consumption was about 6.5L/100km, and highway fuel consumption was about 4.8L/100km. Overall, the performance is commendable and helps reduce daily usage costs. Regarding noise control, interior noise is minimal during low-speed driving. At high speeds, wind noise and road noise increase but remain within an acceptable range without affecting normal conversations.

In summary, the 2022 Honda City 1.5V Sensing stands out for its balanced performance: spacious interior, comprehensive safety features, good fuel economy, and practical configurations. Compared to competitors in the same class, its standard Honda Sensing system is a significant advantage, and its price is comparable to mid-level models of rival brands, making it highly cost-effective. This car is suitable for families prioritizing safety, space, and fuel economy, especially for daily commuting and frequent family outings. If you are looking for a well-rounded and practical B-segment sedan, the City 1.5V Sensing is worth considering.