The introduction of the new Honda City Hatchback sparked conversations among car buyers wondering why the model only has one variant, namely the RS variant. In case you didn’t know by now, the RS variant is the range-topping trim for most Honda models in the country.
That said, the potential buyers of the new hatchback from Honda won’t have the option to go for a more affordable trim. The introductory price of the City Hatchback is Php 1,115,000, a price that many regards as relatively expensive and prompted them to ask the brand to introduce lower-end variants.
The new Honda City Hatchback RS
Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI), the official business unit of Honda in the country, has answers regarding the matter. According to the Japanese carmaker, the local hatchback segment is slowly drifting to the dark and becoming more of a niche due to the emerging crossover segment.
Crossover vehicles have been the go-to for many Filipino families due to a few reasons such as an increased size as compared to a hatchback with only slight differences in price. HCPI added that car buyers also generally opt for the top-of-the-line variant so introducing lower-end variants for the City Hatchback isn’t the best marketing move for them.
The RS variant adds sportiness to the overall design
The top-spec RS variant of the City Hatchback comes with variant-exclusive RS body kits from the front to the back to showcase a sportier and more aggressive on-road appeal. It is powered by the same 1.5-liter gasoline engine as its subcompact sedan counterpart that makes 119 hp and 145 Nm of torque.
As of this writing, HCPI didn’t clarify whether it will add new lower-end variants for its newest hatchback entry or not. HCPI is currently in an attempt to prove that it did the right decision for discontinuing the Jazz to make room for the newest hatchback entry. We guess only time can tell whether the sole variant of the City Hatchback will manage to pull it off.
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