Some things are better off as pairs like spoon and fork, pandesal and coffee, Shaq and Kobe. However, there are things that are better off solo – like a car launch. You’ll want all the attention of the audience on a single car and its variants or different colors. Honda Cars Philippines is breaking the norm though by bringing in two subcompacts and launching them at the same time. Say hello to the new Brio hatchback and City sedan.
A Safer City for All
The biggest change to the Honda City is it now comes with Honda Sensing as standard. Unlike others where they decrease the features for lower trims, Honda maintained all toys for all variants. That means even the base model gets Adaptive Cruise Control, Collision Mitigation Braking System, Lane Keeping Assist, Road Departure Mitigation, Lane Departure Warning, Auto High Beam, and Lead Car Departure Notification.
Another significant change is the number of variants as there are now four. The RS is still the top trim, followed by V, S, and the new E. Despite being the budget option, the E still comes with CVT for an easier driving experience.
In terms of looks, the new Honda City has a slimmer wing grille and a slightly bigger center air intake. The RS has a mesh design while the V and lower trims get a horizontal slat aesthetic. Contours on the lower bumper are also revised as well as the fog light housings.
The sides are the same as before save for the wheels. The RS gets a dark chrome finish, while the V and lower have a monotone alloy design that makes it look like an executive sedan. This aesthetic continues at the back as the RS gets a more protruding faux diffuser at the bumper while the lower trims have a minimalist approach on the same part.
Inside, the change revolves around the dashboard. The RS now has a metallic red accent compared to before where it’s gloss black, while the lower trims have the same touch but in a flat silver color. The touchscreen is still at 8-inches but now features wireless Apple CarPlay, though Android Auto is still wired. The multi-info screen at the gauge cluster was also a bit wider to accommodate the information of the Honda Sensing technology. Same goes for the steering wheel that received additional buttons for the adaptive cruise and lane keeping assist systems.
The new Honda City now starts at PHP 973,000 for the E CVT, PHP 998,000 for the S CVT, PHP 1,073,000 for the V CVT and the RS CVT comes in at PHP 1,128,000. As mentioned earlier, all variants will come with the full suite of Honda Sensing tech.
Brio Receives Key Updates
Honda’s small hatchback also received a facelift and a crucial feature. It’s also now available in new colors called Electric Lime for the RS Blacktop and V variants, while Stellar Diamond Pearl is for RS trims only.
Just like the City, the new Brio has a smaller grille compared to before. Under it is a new mesh design that for the RS model, it’s reminiscent of that of the HR-V while the lower trims have something more standard. The fog light housings were also redesigned to be more triangular and they’re now connected to each other via horizontal slat accent. Lighting was also improved for the Brio RS specifically as it now features LED headlights, DRL, and fog lights; though the DRL was also applied to the V variant.
Sides are the same for the facelifted model sans the wheels. The RS got a dark chrome finish on its 15-inch alloys while the V model gets a two-tone alloy finish. Side mirrors were also touched up in the RS trim as they are now black instead of body color. Revisions for the rear end were also minor. The sides of the taillight for the RS model are now tinted dark, and it has a new faux diffuser design.
The biggest change in the cabin isn’t visible because it’s on the touchscreen. It has the same size as before at 7-inches but it now features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Apart from that, the only revisions in the cabin are the hue of the orange accent on the dash for the RS trim, and the lack of that orange on the other parts like the passenger side of the dashboard and on the door panels. If we’re going to be nitpicky, the design of the fabric seats are also different this time around.
Three-pedal fans will be thankful that Honda retained the S MT trim priced at PHP 735,000, followed by V CVT at PHP 827,000, while the RS CVT retails at PHP 835,000 and the RS Blacktop is available for an additional PHP 10,000.