Since the diesel fuel subsidy was adjusted, many local citizens feel that the price of petrol will also be adjusted in line with the government's proposal to channel the national budget to other expenses. This at the same time invites consumers to worry about the price of petrol that will rise in the future.
Perhaps you feel that electric vehicles are the answer to changing energy consumption. Unlike Honda, their Hybrid agenda is still strong and they have already announced the Honda City Hatchback this year which brings 5 variations, with one of them being the RS e:HEV version.
RS e:HEV – What's Different From Other Versions?
To distinguish the Honda City Hatchback RS e:HEV from others, it can be clearly seen on the Honda logo on the front and back which has a slight touch of blue. This blue color is consistently used from the previous Honda Hybrid series, starting from the Honda Insight.
But users also have the option to upgrade to the Modulo RS Premium Kit, where it will feature a completely black Honda logo without any chrome finish. Even the Modulo kit also shows the fierce side of the City Hatchback, in terms of side finishes, and also a more aggressive rear roof.
The RS version will be clearly marked with the RS badge on the front, and the RS e:HEV badge on the back. Since the RS version is the top option in the Honda City Hatchback, other different things include an electric parking lever, wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto support, a 7-inch meter cluster display, and even more stylish foot pedals.
One of Honda's advantages over the others, which I always remember while looking at the Honda CRZ Hybrid brochure about 10 years ago, is the seat that can be adjusted to various uses. Called the Honda Ultra Seat, the seat has 4 seat folding modes, allowing various items to be carried along.
The Tall Mode and the Long Mode can be said to be among the modes that prove that even a small car can still carry a variety of items together. For the rear passengers, comfort is still emphasized with air conditioning ducts directly towards the rear passengers and also a USB-A charging plug.
HEV Hybrid Driving That Saves Gasoline
Honda City Hatchback RS e:HEV is a Honda City Hatchback that is equipped with a hybrid system called Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD), where there is a battery that will provide acceleration power and will also help driving driven by a gasoline engine, depending to the level of driving. When starting the trip, battery power will be used until high speed where gasoline power will be used along with electric power.
I shared this car with 2 media friends and had the opportunity to drive around the bends around Ulu Yam up to Tanjung Malim, where the road was a little twisty and required acceleration. Here I can feel the difference between EV and HEV. If you drive an EV, you can certainly feel the rapid acceleration that can almost be achieved in a few seconds, but for HEVs, it has a slightly different nature.
As for the HEV drive system, it should be noted that it is a hybrid engine where the combination of petrol and electricity produces acceleration. I found that when I pressed the pedal to the maximum, maximum acceleration was achieved in over 5 seconds, and I could feel the engine 'roaring'. According to the specs, the 0-100 km/h sprint can be achieved in a quick 9.7 seconds, and I think this is a characteristic difference that I have to get used to as I regularly review EVs.
Another thing I had to get used to was the regenerative braking shifter lever. Using this lever, the driver can set the level of regeneration, similar to the lever on the Mercedes EQB 350 and Hyundai IONIQ, but the experience of using it is much different because the selected level will be reset every time the vehicle is driven at a different speed.
It has three levels of regenerative braking, where if the driver is at a speed above 60 km/h, the driver can only set regenerative braking up to level 2. Only when the vehicle slows down, or the vehicle is at a speed of less than 60 km/h, the driver can choose regenerative braking at level 3 which can provide more movement resistance, and generate more energy.
This also somewhat makes the driving experience of this e:HEV different compared to a normal EV, but I understand that I can feel driving with more active regenerative braking, approaching the nature of an EV if I select gear 'B'. I wasn't able to try the driving mode but there were other media friends who tried it on the way home, and managed to win the energy efficiency competition.
One main thing I found was the efficiency of the Honda City Hatchback's energy consumption thanks to the e:HEV engine. Honda states that it can achieve an energy consumption of 3.7 Liters /100 km, or in other words 27km/L. This is a much more efficient figure when compared to an EV, and for myself I got a figure of 22 km/L for the drive from Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh, and back to Kuala Lumpur with 4 bars of fuel used.
There are other media friends' cars that managed to get the stated consumption of 27 km/L, at the same time proving the efficiency of the I-MMD engine which has a maximum power of Engine 98 PS / Motor 109PS as well as Engine torque 127Nm / Motor 253 Nm.
On the way home via the highway, another media friend was able to accelerate so fast and hardly realize that he had exceeded the speed limit because of the very minimal sound of the engine. There is even an interactive display that shows the battery is being used at a speed of around 80 km/h, and also the battery is being recharged at around 90 km/h.
In summary, through this short drive, I can conclude that if you intend to buy an e:HEV, you will enjoy high fuel economy, although it is subject to your driving style. Those of us who drove a little aggressively only used around 4 bars for the 433 km trip, and still had 6 bars left. Maybe if we drive with the same driving style, we can reach 900km for one charge.
And at this rate of use, it can be said to be much more efficient than an electric car, despite having a battery and an electric motor. However, the e:HEV doesn't have the acceleration characteristics of an EV so maybe that's something to get used to and maybe you can experience it yourself during a test drive session.
The Honda City Hatchback is offered starting at RM 85,000 and for the RS e:HEV option it is sold at a price of 112,900 not including the Modulo kit option. At that price, Honda Malaysia also offers a 5-year unlimited mileage warranty, as well as an 8-year unlimited mileage warranty for the lithium-ion battery.