Safer than ever: Honda City Hatchback

Honda Cars Philippines Incorporated has showcased the safety features of the Honda Sensing-equipped City Hatchback.

The local arm of the Japanese car brand took members of the motoring media on a quick trip to Pampanga, and back, where participants were able to see the real-world applications of the suite of safety technologies Honda has endowed the updated hot hatch — as well as its sedan stablemate.

Lane-keep assist

Traversing the North Luzon Expressway, Zigwheels Philippines got to experience firsthand some of the advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) included in the Honda Sensing suite. And one of those is lane-keep assist.

Pretty much like how most lane-keeping technologies work, the said safety feature keeps the vehicle at the center of visible road lanes.

What I love about Honda’s implementation of the said technology is that the movement of the steering wheel feels smooth. While the lane-keep assist system repositions the car at the center of the lane to follow the flow of the road, the manner in which it takes the wheel from the driver feels refined.

It prevents any sudden jerking of the car, which makes for smoother and safer drives.

Adaptive cruise control

The way adaptive cruise control works is that it maintains a set distance between the vehicle and the car in front. When activated, it aids not only in maintaining a set gap when moving, but also helps with acceleration and deceleration to keep one’s preferred range.

It helps lessen the fatigue when driving, especially when doing long stretches. It is a great feature that could help new drivers and new car owners. On the other hand, it may not appeal to those who prefer to drive, and not be driven.

Road departure mitigation, lane departure warning

Working hand in hand are the safety features known as road departure mitigation and lane departure warning. The former helps notify the driver through audible and visual warnings should the vehicle appear to cross over visible road lanes without using the turn signals.

Similarly, the latter alerts the driver when it senses that the vehicle is veering off course.

Both safety features are helpful in preventing collisions, especially in fast-paced driving situations.

Lead car departure notification

In stop-and-go traffic, keeping a good pace is important. That said, Honda’s lead car departure notification can alert the driver if the car at the fore has started moving.

We were able to test it out on our way back to Honda Cars Manila Bay during the afternoon traffic at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressway.

Auto high beam

Since it was a pocket drive, it meant that the trip back home would be dusky and the dim lighting provided by the afternoon sun could make driving a little tricky. But thankfully, the Honda City and City Hatchback are equipped with automatic headlamps that switch the lights on or off depending on the surroundings.

Likewise, it also has an automatic high beam feature, which also switches on in dark environments and automatically adjusts for oncoming traffic.

Collision mitigation

The Honda City — both its sedan and hatchback versions — are equipped with a collision mitigation braking system, which helps to warn, mitigate a collision, or lessen the severity of a frontal crash.

Overall driving impression

The facelifted Honda City Hatchback has driven admirably during the quick drive in and out of the metro.

It is equipped with a 1.5-liter gasoline engine mated to a continuously variable transmission. It sends some 119 horsepower to the front wheel and produces around 145 Newton-meters of torque.

Acceleration feels smooth and power is distributed evenly throughout the rev range allowing one to easily get attuned to its capabilities. Since it is designed to be a sporty daily driver, Honda slapped it with paddle shifters to make up for the lack of a stick shift, providing drivers some level of oneness with the machine.

Other notable features include an aggressive-looking fascia, plenty of faux carbon fiber trims, an updated instrument panel and infotainment system, as well as leather seats and interior trims.

It is offered in a sole RS variant and is priced at P1.189 million.

Also read:

New Honda City Hatch expected to sell 25% more than previous version

'Refreshed' Honda City Hatchback arrives in PH

Introduction of Honda Sensing-equipped City Hatchback spurred by brand’s global safety goal