2017 Honda City arrives in the Philippines

MANILA: Honda Philippines has finally upgraded its much-acclaimed sedan for the Philippines market by bringing the 2017 model. Yes, the 2017 Honda City has finally made its way to the Philippines. Though the car has made its entry a little late, we hope it will manage to cope up with the sales target. According to Honda, the new design of the 2017 City is based on “Advanced Energetic Smart Star” concept.

The 2017 Honda City now feature more standard equipment in comparison to the previous model. The updated City is now offered with four variants starting from 1.5 E M/T which is priced at Php 764,000. The next in line is the E CVT which holds a price tag of Php 804,000 and then comes the 1.5VX Navi CVT with a price tag of Php 913,000. The top-end variant is the 1.5VX+ Navi CVT which can be bought at a price tag of Php 1,003,000.

Most of the changes are restricted to the front fascia with a new set of headlights that are also accompanied by LED daytime running lights and ‘Solid Wing Face’ grille. A reshaped bumper and new foglight housings further accentuate the overall design of the front. You get LED headlights and foglights with the top-end VX+ CVT variant. At the back, the lower half of the bumper gets honeycomb trim piece and slightly revamped reflectors. In addition, the 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels add to the elegance quotient of the sedan in a significant manner.

In the cabin, there are no changes and you will find the same layout as in the previous model. Although there are a few changes made to the seats, which are now more comfortable. The addition of gunmetal trim and new gauges are included in the list of refreshed features. Considering the features of the 2017 City, you get a 7-inch touchscreen across all the variants. Other features include Bluetooth, Hands-free Telephone, Audio Streaming, USB Connectivity, a multi-view reverse camera with guidelines, navigation system, voice command, Mira cast, cruise control, and Cube User Interface.

In terms of safety, the updated Honda City gets Anti-lock brakes, Electronic Brake-Force Distribution, and dual front airbags. The VX and VX+ variants are also backed with smart entry system, dual side curtain airbags, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), Hill Start Assist (HSA) and Emergency Stop Signal (ESS).

Under the hood, there are no significant changes and City continue to feature a 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine that is also a part of Honda Mobilio and BR-V. The maximum power stands at 120PS while the peak torque rest at 145 Nm. Transmission duties are handled by either a five-speed manual or CVT. The VX and VX+ variants get exclusive seven-speed CVT.

Let’s see how the updated City matches the competition and stands against Toyota Vios, Suzuki Ciaz, and Hyundai Accent.