Honda Malaysia has officially launched the 2026 Honda City facelift, marking the second refresh for the fifth-generation sedan that first arrived locally in 2020. The updated range now consists of four variants, comprising the 1.5L E, V, RS and the range-topping 1.5L e:HEV RS featured here.
While the petrol variants retain their existing 1.5-litre naturally aspirated powertrain, the e:HEV RS continues with Honda’s i-MMD hybrid system. The facelift also brings several exterior and equipment changes, including a larger infotainment display, updated camera system and additional driver assistance features.
Exterior Design
The 2026 City e:HEV RS gets a revised front end with slimmer LED projector headlights and a redesigned bumper. Its central air intake adopts a sharper, upturned design, while the slimmed-down honeycomb grille now places the Honda badge on the upper body-coloured “unibrow” element.
A light bar running across the width of the grille remains exclusive to the RS variants, including the e:HEV RS. The hybrid also gets several black exterior elements, including the trunk spoiler extension, door handles, shark fin antenna and side mirror covers.
At the rear, the City receives a redesigned bumper with a black mesh-like centre section, diffuser-style insert, twin tusks and vertical reflectors. The familiar trapezoidal tail lights remain, although the RS gets a revised clear-and-black internal treatment that lights up red when illuminated. Boot capacity is unchanged at 410 litres for the hybrid.
Honda Malaysia is offering the 2026 City in four exterior colours: Blazing Red Pearl, Meteoroid Gray Metallic, Platinum White Pearl and Stellar Diamond Pearl. The latter is available only on the V and petrol RS, meaning the e:HEV RS is offered in the other three colours.
The e:HEV RS rides on new 16-inch turbine-style alloy wheels finished in Berlina Black with a darkened machined face. These are wrapped in 185/55-series Toyo Proxes R57 tyres.
Interior
Inside, the overall dashboard layout remains familiar, although the RS receives a new textured silver dashboard trim with a red accent line. It also gains red ambient lighting, while the side mirrors now feature an auto-fold function.
The RS’s seat upholstery has also been revised, with the previous central stitching removed and the reddish contrast perforation treatment moved to the sides of the seat’s central section. As with the previous Malaysian-spec model, the e:HEV RS does not receive the ventilated seats or sunroof offered in some other markets.
Performance
The e:HEV RS retains the same i-MMD hybrid system as before, consisting of a primary electric traction motor paired with a single-speed transmission. The motor produces 109 PS and 253 Nm, with the 1.5-litre Atkinson-cycle petrol engine primarily serving as a generator for the hybrid system.
The engine itself produces 98 PS at 5,600 to 6,400 rpm and 127 Nm from 4,500 to 5,000 rpm. At higher running speeds, it can also mechanically connect to the drivetrain to provide direct drive.
This means there are no changes to the hybrid system’s power outputs compared with the previous City e:HEV RS. The petrol variants, meanwhile, continue with the 121 PS, 145 Nm 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine paired with a CVT.
New Infotainment And Safety Features
One of the more significant equipment upgrades for the e:HEV RS is a new 10-inch Display Audio touchscreen, replacing the smaller unit used previously. It supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while also incorporating the 360-degree camera system introduced to the City earlier this year.
The camera system now features a multi-view angle and moving object detection interface. A new switch on the tip of the left steering stalk allows the driver to cycle through the available camera views.
The City continues to come standard with Honda Sensing, including autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane centring assist, road departure mitigation, front departure alert and auto high beam. For 2026, Honda has added blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert to the safety package. These work alongside the existing LaneWatch camera to provide alerts for vehicles approaching from both sides.
Pricing And Availability
The 2026 Honda City e:HEV RS is priced at RM111,900 on-the-road without insurance in Malaysia. For the non-hybrid models, the Honda City E is at RM89,900, the V at RM94,900 and RS at RM99,900.
Honda Malaysia is also offering a RM3,000 rebate for the first 2,400 City buyers, applicable across all four variants. In addition, all Honda models sold from September 1 now come with an eight-year, unlimited-mileage vehicle warranty, while the e:HEV RS receives an additional 10-year warranty covering its hybrid components.
(Source: Honda Malaysia press release / official website)
