When looking for a “one car to do it all’” we always end up shopping for an SUV or an MPV simply for their large cabins. But having a large car isn’t very convenient. Parking becomes a chore and driving through narrow urban streets becomes stressful. Thus, to combine ultimate practicality with nimble and easy maneuvering, the Honda City Hatchback offers an interesting proposition with its brand-signature ULTRA seats.
The Honda City hatchback is a B-segment hatchback that costs RM78,600 for the base ‘S’ variant. In total, there are five variants of the City hatchback, and at the top of the range is the hybrid City Hatchback RS which costs RM109,800. The good thing is, all variants get the ULTRA seat configuration, which makes it an extremely practical car despite being a compact hatchback.
You may wonder what ULTRA seats are, and it is simply an abbreviation of ‘Utility’, ‘Long, ‘Tall’, and ‘Refresh’, with the letter A simply existing to give it a fancy moniker. The first four letters of the abbreviation are the four configurations of the rear seats that allow you to either haul varying types of loads or to simply rest inside the cabin.
Hatchbacks are generally already very practical with the rear seats folded down. The City Hatchback (as well as its predecessor, the Jazz) cranks it up a notch with the ULTRA seats.
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The ‘Utility’ configuration is just the same as what you would find in other hatchbacks where you fold down the rear backrests, turning your compact hatchback into a 2-seater ‘van’. This is ideal for the Ikea haul or helping a friend move. You could even stuff a bicycle inside with the ‘Utility’ configuration.
The ‘Long’ mode allows for long loads to take up the passenger side of the cabin, and this is also great for the occasional furniture haul, or as shown in the City Hatchback’s brochure, an entire surfboard.
The most unique configuration would be the ‘Tall’ mode, which allows for tall loads such as potted plants, a bedside bookshelf, and just about anything that has to be kept vertical.
The ‘Refresh’ is not for hauling stuff, but for you to relax in the cabin during a picnic by the beach or waterfall if that’s the kind of activity that you enjoy.
With the practicality that the ULTRA seats offer, the City Hatchback is suitable for those with a semi-active lifestyle and those who like to haul stuff on their own. And the practicality comes without the hassle of having to drive a large car through tight urban spaces.
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