Weeks after the leadership has been turned over, newly-hailed
Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI)
President and General Manager Noriyuki Takakura spearheaded the unveiling of the new
Honda City.
Last May 22, the local arm for the Japanese carmaker introduced the new City at the City of Dreams, Paranaque City, with hopes that it would gain a bigger following in the local automotive market.
In an interview, Takakura said that the refreshed City exudes the Civic DNA, while adding handful features, which he believed that the market would delve into.
Although packed with their ever-reliable
1.5-liter i-VTEC SOHC four-cylinder engine that produces
118 hp at 6,600 rpm and
145 Nm of torque at 4,800 rpm, Takakura said that the exterior of the New City has a firm resemblance to its big brother—Honda Civic—with its redesigned front fascia complemented by the new front and rear bumpers, which gives it a sporty look.
Aside from that, he said the new City has been equipped with
LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL), while the top variant VX+ comes with
LED headlights and
LED fog lights for design and better illumination.
Supplementing the sporty, aggressive looks are it
diamond-cut 15-inch wheels for VX and VX+ variants while
standard 15-inches for the E CVT variant.
Takakura said that the all variants of the new City has a new
seven-inch touchscreen audio system for the E CVT, VX and VX+ variants that consists of
Bluetooth Hands-free Telephone and Audio Streaming, and
USB Connectivity.
"Being one of the best-sellers for Honda Cars Philippines, we are hoping that this would be more popular than before,” Takakura told Carmudi Philippines.
Despite its new features, prices were retained from its predecessors as the new City is still priced at the following:
- City 1.5 E MT - P764,000;
- City 1.5 E CVT - P804,000;
- City 1.5 VX Navi CVT - P913,000; and
- City 1.5 VX= Navi CVT - P1.003 million.
Further, the New
Honda City is available in Lunar Silver Metallic (New Color); Gold Brown Metallic (VX, VX+ only); Ruby Red Pearl (VX, E CVT only) Taffeta White; Modern Steel Crystal Black Pearl (VX, E CVT, E MT only).
Story and photos by Ruben Manahan IV