2023 Honda City RS facelift has received minor touch-ups at front and rear, along with some functional updates
Popular in Asian markets, Honda City has received its facelift version in Malaysia along with the City RS facelift. It is possible that the updates could be introduced in India as well. 2023 Honda City facelift is available in the price range of RM 85,000 to RM 112,000 (approx. INR 15.28 lakh to INR 20.14 lakh).
Just like the earlier model that had five variants, the facelift version also has 5 variants. There are 4 petrol variants and an e:HEV hybrid variant. However, a new petrol RS variant has been introduced to replace the earlier V-Sensing variant. The name change was needed since Honda Sensing has been made a standard feature across all variants of 2023 Honda City facelift.
2023 Honda City facelift (Malaysia) variant-wise comparison
New variants of 2023 Honda City facelift are S, E, V, RS (new) and top-spec RS e:HEV. Some minor changes can be seen at front and rear. In addition to Honda Sensing, all variants of 2023 Honda City facelift get 6-airbags as standard. Top-spec RS e:HEV variant gets an exclusive Low Speed Follow function under Sensing suite. Other variants do not get this feature since they are equipped with mechanical parking brake.
Other features under Honda Sensing are common across all variants. The kit includes forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, road departure mitigation, lane departure warning, lane keep assist system, adaptive cruise control, auto high beam and lead car departure notification.
Talking about variant-wise features of 2023 Honda City facelift, the base-spec model gets automatic halogen projector headlamps, LED DRLs, 15-inch alloy wheels in single-tone finish, keyless entry and multi-angle reverse camera. Other key features include paddle shifters (new), manual air conditioning with rear vents, single USB port, a 4.2-inch full colour instrument cluster, Bluetooth audio system and 4 speakers.
E variant has 15-inch wheels in dual-tone finish, chrome door handles, front and rear USB ports, 8-inch Display Audio touchscreen, support for wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, four tweeters and single-zone automatic climate control. V variants gets 16-inch alloys in single-tone finish, automatic LED headlamps and LED fog lamps. Features on the inside include leather wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, leather upholstery and Honda LaneWatch side-view camera system.
The new petrol RS variant gets exclusive RS badging and 16-inch alloys in dual-tone finish. Other highlights include sporty black interiors, contrasting red stitching, 7-inch digital instrument cluster with red pointer needles, Honda Connect telematics, sports pedals and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Top-spec City RS e:HEV has the Low Speed Follow function, as mentioned earlier. It also gets an exclusive deceleration selector paddle for the i-MMD system.
No performance boost
Engine options for 2023 Honda City facelift are the same as earlier. Petrol variants are equipped with a 1.5 litre naturally-aspirated inline-four DOHC i-VTEC engine. It generates 121 PS of max power and 145 Nm of peak torque. It is paired with a CVT gearbox. The RS e:HEV variant has the Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD) system, comprising a 109 PS electric motor. Torque output is 253 Nm. The 1.5-litre petrol mill makes 98 PS and 127 Nm. Honda City hybrid variant has an e-CVT gearbox.
