The revamped Honda City recently made its local debut, receiving a host of welcome changes along the way. Aside from fresher looks, the popular subcompact sedan also received a serious boost in terms of safety features. However, there’s another bit of good news in the new City.
Honda has brought back the E variant for the facelifted City. Unlike before, the E variant now serves as the base model of the City sedan range. In the previous generation City, the title of most affordable model equipped with a CVT belonged to the S version.
From the outside, the City E screams fleet special. You don’t get chrome or gloss black trims, nor does it come with LED headlights. The City E even rides on 15-inch steel rims covered by plastic hubcabs, so there’s no mistaking it for a higher trim level.
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Inside, the City E loses the touchscreen audio system, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. For some folks, that’s a bit of a mortal sin, but folks who prefer a more analogue dash will appreciate its simplicity. As for the rest of the interior, it’s pretty much like the higher spec S variant.
But it’s safe to say the more basic appearance and the removal of the touchscreen are minor things if you consider the one thing Honda included standard in the City E. When the Japanese automaker said it’s fitting Honda Sensing to all variants of the new City, it was no exaggeration. From the RS with all the bells and whistles to the lowly E, the sedan comes with adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, and even lane keep assist.
One could argue that the inclusion of Honda Sensing even in the most basic version is a huge benefit. It may not have a touchscreen, foglights, or a a set of alloy wheels, but one can say that the tradeoff is worth it because of the added safety features. Also, the City E has stability control standard, as well as four airbags and even something called Agile Handling Assist.
At P973,000, the Honda City E is perhaps the only car under P1 million to offer adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist. The only car that comes close to the new City’s levels of active safety is the updated Nissan Almera. That said, the Nissan doesn’t come with adaptive cruise or lane keep assist, and its active safety systems are only available in the top trim level.
Despite that, we’re glad more automakers are putting more advanced driver assist systems in their respective subcompact models. Whether it’s the Honda or the Nissan, both appear to be solid choices for those looking for a safe sedan.
