Conquering Bangkok’s old town: a high-energy weekend escape with the New Honda City e:HEV caravan

The New Honda City e:HEV caravan takes over the historic alleys and sky-high summits of Bangkok in a high-octane weekend challenge.

The road trip kicked off bright and early from the eastern fringes of Bangkok. Our ultimate destination: a private evening bash with indie-pop band MEAN, accompanied by the EFM radio crew and an energetic squad of lucky winners joining the convoy.

Embodying the New Honda City’s "Quake the City" theme, our Gen-Y editorial team was roped in for an action-packed mission designed to rattle off every trace of office syndrome. The battlefield? Bangkok's hottest Gen-Z creative hotspot along Song Wat Road, followed by a dizzying ascent to one of Thailand’s highest vantage points at King Power Mahanakhon, all to snag exclusive rewards from other Honda's fan at the event.

All geared up: Honda team members, EFM DJs, and lucky participants gather ahead of the city rally.

When it comes to darting through Bangkok’s notorious gridlock, few steeds are better tailored for the task than the latest Honda City e:HEV. Its compact dimensions make urban maneuvering a breeze, while the proven dual-motor hybrid powertrain yields a staggering economy figure of over 27.8 km/L.

The secret behind the City e:HEV’s enduring dominance is its refined 1.5-litre Atkinson-cycle petrol unit, working around the clock as an onboard generator to feed two potent electric drive motors. The resulting surge of instant torque whisks this subcompact runabout past traffic with effortless pace, easily making you forget you’re piloting an economical daily driver rather than a pocket rocket.

Squeezing through heritage alleys: The New Honda City e:HEV shows off its pinpoint urban agility.

Pulling into Song Wat Road instantly immerses you in old-world charm reminiscent of early 20th-century King Rama V architecture. Even the parking lot is iconic, framed by a massive, building-sized elephant mural stamped across an adjacent facade.

There's a generation gap in action, while we try to do some technological advance stuff & all our competitor already at the next stops. 

Our opening assignment was to track down "vintage relics" hidden around the neighborhood to unlock prizes. It quickly became clear that our caffeine-dependent Gen-Y press crew was no match for the relentless stamina of the Gen-Z fandom. Battling midday heat and hunting hidden checkpoints, their energy mirrored the non-stop efficiency of the e:HEV hybrid powertrain—leaving us trailing in the dust.

Thankfully, the City e:HEV’s clever packaging offers an airy, surprisingly cavernous cabin that punches far above its exterior proportions. Escaping the sweltering pavement into ice-cold air conditioning across all four seats was nothing short of a lifesaver.

Sensory overload: The immersive digital installation inside Mahanakhon SkyVerse.

Our second stop landed us at the dazzling Mahanakhon SkyVerse inside the landmark King Power Mahanakhon. Here, the generational divide hit home once more: while the EFM and Honda fan squads eagerly sprinted through the digital light corridors to snap competition-winning photos, the weary journalists were frantically reaching for herbal inhalers to combat sensory overload.

Catching a breather 78 floors up: Sweeping 360-degree vistas across Bangkok's concrete jungle.

Luckily, the post-challenge break gave us time to catch our breath atop the 78th-floor observation deck. The high-altitude breeze worked wonders to clear our spinning heads—provided we avoided looking straight down past our shoes through the dizzying glass tray floor.

Recharging the soul: Hearty comfort food and soothing tunes from indie-pop band MEAN.

Finally came the moment every team, car, and generation had been hanging on for: dinner. We rounded off the whirlwind day at Hasen Haus in the Kaset-Nawamin district, treated to a hearty feast and an intimate mini-concert by the boys from MEAN to recharge our batteries.

Much like the self-charging e:HEV system in the New Honda City—which quietly recoups energy without ever needing a plug—our exhausted bodies and minds managed to cross the finish line with a full battery, entirely ready for the next adventure.

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