Building off the success of the launch of the New Honda City last January, Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. is set to raise the bar in the subcompact segment of automobiles with the new City variants.
The third generation of Honda City subcompact automobiles was launched in 2009, and they were given urban upgrades in 2012, with a new chromed grill, redesigned bumpers, and new taillights to give a more elegant look while retaining its sporty features. The City was given new blue and white illumination in the instrument cluster and a chrome-accented center console. Another addition to the instrument cluster is the Eco Drive Indicator Lamp in the 1.5 variant, which lights up whenever the driver is driving efficiently, so that the driver is made aware of and given motivation to practice fuel efficient driving.
“We challenged ourselves once again to change the rules for the City in the Philippines by introducing 1.5 liter variants with first in class premium and safety features,” said Tatsuya Natsume, President and General Manager of Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. The new variants of the City are the 1.5 EL and the 1.5 ENC, both offered in automatic transmission with paddle shifters. More than the usual subcompact sedan, both variants will also be equipped with seven split-spoke 16-inch alloy wheels (the 1.3 S will have eight-spoke 15-inch alloy wheels), further enhancing the City’s sporty profile. The 1.5 EL will also have a new black leather interior.
A new standard of safety has also emerged with the 1.5 ENC variant, which were only available in higher displacement models. The Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) provides lateral skidding prevention and stabilized cornering, ISOFIX international standard for fastening child seats which can be found in the Honda Pilot and Odyssey, and 60:40 split folding rear seats and a seatbelt reminder for both the driver and front passenger. “These features make the City 1.5 ENC, one of the pioneers to introduce a model (in the Philippines) that gets a 5-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating for adult occupant protection, the highest safety rating possible,” Natsume said. The ASEAN New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) is a new addition to the NCAP entities around the world. The ASEAN NCAP seeks to enhance safety standards, raise consumer awareness and thus encourage a market for safer vehicles in the Southeast Asia region.
All variants of the Honda City are equipped with dual (driver and passenger) SRS airbags, an anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD). The ABS and EBD system prevents the wheels from locking during sudden braking so that the driver can control the car in unfavorable conditions.
The Honda City has four variants: the 1.3 S MT, the 1.3 S AT, the 1.5 EL AT, and the 1.5 ENC AT. The 1.3 S MT will retail for PHP 746,000; the 1.3 S AT for PHP 786,000; the 1.5 EL AT for PHP 861,000; and the 1.5 ENC AT for PHP 876,000. The City is also available in five colors: Sparkling Brown, Taffeta White, Urban Titanium, Crystal Black, and the brand new Carnelian Red. For more information, please visit www.hondaphil.com.