Honda City RS CVT: a practical, stylish daily driver

Not too long ago, Honda Cars Philippines Incorporated (HCPI) revealed that it sold more than 15,000 vehicles last year with the City nameplate being one of the company’s local sales contributors. 

With over 3,000 units handed over to customers nationwide in 2024 — surpassing the CR-V in sales — the Honda City is undoubtedly one of the main drivers, not just in HCPI’s roster but also in its respective segment. 

On that note, we take a deep dive into what makes the Honda City one of the most sought-after sedans in the country. Join us as we look at the practical and stylish RS CVT variant of the versatile city car. 

Dimensions 

The Honda City boasts city-friendly dimensions, which makes it a good car to drive around the metro. Below are its measurements: 

Overall length (in mm)	4,580-4,589
Overall width (in mm)	1,748
Overall height (in mm)	1,467
Wheelbase	2,600
Ground clearance	134

 

Its length and width allow for easy movement in tight traffic as well as when getting in and out of narrow parking spots. The RS CVT variant in particular gets additional exterior trims, which stretch the car nine millimeters (mm) longer versus other models. 

On the other hand, the commendable ground clearance gives drivers peace of mind when going over potholes and speed bumps. 

Now, let’s check out some of its exterior features. 

Straightforward style 

I think one of the Honda City RS CVT’s strongest suits is its straightforward style: not too basic, not too sporty. 

At the fore is a two-part grille with a mesh-like design. The latticework — with the Honda emblem and an “RS” badge — on the top portion of the fascia has larger holes and is adorned by a piano black accent at the top. Flanking the said mesh screen are full LED headlamps with LED daytime running lights. These lights switch on and off automatically, which helps when passing through tunnels, driving inside parking areas, or when one has to be out and about at dusk. 

The lower portion of the car’s front end gets a protruding plastic chin with a smaller mesh pattern. The front bumper is connected to two plastic housings on each of the Honda City RS CVT’s cheeks where one may find the LED fog lamps. 

Its sides have slightly ascending bodylines, but the beltline is generally linear, which gives it a stable appearance. The side mirrors have the same hue as the B-pillar and get integrated turn signals. Side sill garnishes bordering the bottom of the doors add some level of sportiness to the sedan without taking away the advantage of its ground clearance.

The Honda City RS CVT rides on 16-inch wheels with a two-tone black cut alloy design. These are wrapped with 185/55 series tires, which are still chunky enough to help absorb road imperfections and give the vehicle its much-desired ground height. 

At the back, the range-topping model gets a black trunk-mounted spoiler, a pair of combination LED taillamps, and an eye-catching diffuser with built-in reflectors. 

From this angle, the shark fin antenna is also noticeable.  

Overall, the exterior appeal of the Honda City RS CVT looks cool without being too flashy. This makes the car an ideal choice for those who do not want to stick out like a sore thumb but still want some air of flair. 

I love how the RS appliques make a statement without being too bold — like pairing your basic clothing with a stylish tool watch like a Seiko Alpinist or a Speedtimer.  

Comfy cabin 

The interior of the Honda City RS CVT has plenty of features that are aimed towards the comfort of its occupants. 

For example, it has plush leather seats that are soft to the touch. Likewise, similar upholstery can be found on the car’s center armrest, steering wheel, some trims on the door cards, gear shifter boot, and in portions of the dashboard. 

The Honda City RS CVT also gets an automatic air conditioning system with a separate vent for the passengers sitting at the back. This makes it so that the rear occupants wouldn’t have to share louvers with those taking the front seats, which is helpful, especially on hot days. 

On top of having their own AC vents, those who will be spending time in the backseat will enjoy their own pull-down armrest, a documents pocket at the back of the front passenger seat (which can be used to store laptops and tablets), and charging ports. 

I also loved the space provided by the semi-flat floor of the Honda City RS CVT. With a not-so-tall center tunnel, the passenger sitting in the middle of the second-row bench can still extend his or her legs at length. 

Tech-wise, the Honda City RS CVT gets an instrument cluster that combines both analog gauges and a digital computer. The meters have legible numbers that are easy to read and understand. Similarly, the 4.2-inch screen in the middle is intuitive and user-friendly. 

Below are some of the information that can be read from the instrument panel: 

• Fuel level
• Fuel consumption
• Tachometer
• Speedometer
• Trip meter
• Range computer
• Illumination control 
• Temperature

Complementing the gauges past the multi-functional steering wheel is an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment unit. It comes out of the box with wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto as well as Weblink and Bluetooth connectivity. 

That means smartphone owners can easily integrate their favorite apps into their driving experience. In my case, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Maps are some of the smartphone applications I find indispensable. 

For obvious reasons, music and podcasts keep drivers company on short and long trips while navigation apps are good for giving you estimated arrival times, traffic updates, and general directions. 

Other notable features found inside the Honda City RS CVT are listed here: 

• Eight-speaker sound system 
• Tactile AC controls 
• Power windows 
• Bottle holders
• Cup holders
• Coin, cash holder 

Peppy performance 

Under the sculpted hood of the Honda City RS CVT is a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated gasoline engine mated to a continuously variable transmission. 

On paper, the setup makes 119 horsepower with 145 Newton-meters of torque. 

Behind the wheel, this translates to generous power even with two adults (one driver, one front passenger) and one toddler in the cabin. Acceleration in stop-and-go city traffic is no issue and zooming in on the expressways was no challenge. 

Proving itself as a proper daily driver, the Honda City clocked in impressive fuel efficiency figures at 22.2 kilometers per liter, according to the carmaker. 

When it comes to stopping power, the Honda City RS CVT relies on ventilated disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear. It also uses a MacPherson strut at the fore and a torsion beam setup at the back. 

I particularly appreciate the ride quality of the Honda City RS CVT since the cabin felt quiet even at high speeds. In addition, vibration is barely felt inside the car even when driving past roads with some flaws. 

Commendable also is its handling. It could take on corners without rocking the people inside the vehicle, which is always a plus. 

Safety 

Honda’s global goal is to reduce traffic fatalities and become one of the safest brands on the market, that’s why it aggressively updated its lineup to give cars in its roster Honda Sensing. 

The suite of safety features includes technologies like adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation braking, lane keeping assist, road departure mitigation, lane departure warning, auto high beam, and lead car departure notification. 

Of course, it still gets standard safety features, which we have listed below: 

• Airbags
• Seatbelts
• Rear seatbelt reminder
• Anti-lock braking 
• Electronic brake-force distribution 
• Vehicle stability assist
• Reverse camera 
• G-Con body structure 
• ISOFIX child seat anchors 
• Emergency stop signal
• Hill start assist 
• Agile holding assist 

Variants, pricing 

Currently, the Honda City RS CVT is the top-of-the-line model in the range. Those interested to see other trims — as well as their respective prices — may refer to the table below: 

Honda City RS CVT Honda Sensing	P1.138 million
Honda City V CVT Honda Sensing	P1.073 million
Honda City S CVT Honda Sensing	P998,000
Honda City E CVT Honda Sensing	P973,000

 

Final thoughts 

The Honda City RS CVT seems to check all the right boxes for many Filipino car buyers hunting for a sedan. It looks cool without being over the top, it has decent cabin features, offers good power with good fuel economy, and is overall a safe car to drive. 

It may be a little pricey compared to some of its rivals, but once you step inside the car and have had some time to drive it around, you will understand why many are willing to pay a little more to own this vehicle. 

Also read:

Sensational 7-seater: Honda BR-V V

More than modest: Honda Brio V CVT