Honda Cars Philippines recently released the latest iteration of the City Hatchback, reinforcing the company’s foothold in the country’s compact car segment.

Its arrival not only meant updated looks and improved amenities for fans of the hot hatch but also a bolstered list of safety features, which make it an appealing option for young professionals, growing families, and car buyers who want to enjoy a fun driving experience while still staying safe.

Before we check how the new Honda City Hatchback fares against the competition, let’s look at some of its notable features.

Abundance in upgrades

Honda Cars Philippines did not hold back on granting the City Hatchback with upgrades — inside and out.

At the fore, the city car now wears an updated fascia with a new grille. It dropped the previous honeycomb layout for a mesh-like design. The lower front bumper is also changed and now has a protruding chin with a radiator cowling that boasts larger holes.

On its flanks are new side sill garnishes that seem to pop out of the vehicle’s bodywork.

The hind side of the new Honda City Hatchback gets a modern-looking bumper with sporty diffusers.

It also wears an updated version of the RS badge, which can be found front and back.

The cabin of the new Honda City Hatchback also sees some changes. The seats, for example, are now covered in leather upholstery. Relatedly, the seats have been upgraded with ULTR (Utility, Long, Tall, Refresh) configuration.

Honda Cars Philippines also brings some welcome updates to the City Hatchback’s eight-inch infotainment system. It now has wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto for its owners’ convenience.

Honda Sensing

Honda’s suite of safety features now makes its way to the City Hatchback.

Giving drivers the added peace of mind is a list of safety technologies, which include adaptive cruise control, a collision mitigation braking system, lane keeping assist, road departure mitigation, lane departure warning, auto high beam, and lead car departure notification.

Familiar power

Under its hood is a familiar 1.5-liter gasoline engine that produces some 119 horsepower (hp) and 145 Newton-meters (Nm) of torque.

It is priced at P1.198 million.

Mazda2

Giving the new Honda City Hatchback a warm welcome is the Mazda2.

In keeping with the brand’s luxurious image, the hatchback dons a gloss black honeycomb grille flanked by LED headlamps and LED daytime running lights. It also has power-adjust and power-folding side mirrors complemented by sleek diamond-cut 16-inch wheels and a roof with black carbon fiber design.

Inside, it offers suede and leather-covered seats, a seven-inch infotainment system with Android Auto and wireless Apple Carplay, as well as an automatic air conditioning system.

When it comes to safety, the Mazda2 offers dynamic stability control, hill-start assist, a smart city brake support, forward obstruction warning, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert, among others.

Power comes from a 1.5-liter gasoline mill that dishes out some 108 horses with 141 Nm of pulling power.

Pricing for the Mazda2 is at P1.25 million.

MG 3

Not looking to be outdone, MG also unleashed its latest entry into the local hatchback category in the form of the MG 3.

With a face that bears some semblance to the Cyberster electric vehicle, the MG 3 comes in as a handsome alternative to the new Honda City Hatchback.

The range-topping Luxury variant gets LED headlamps and LED daytime running lights. It also has a pair of power-folding and power-adjust side mirrors. The rear end flaunts halogen taillamps and a high-mount stop lamp.

It rides on 16-inch alloy wheels.

The cabin welcomes the driver with seats covered with PVC and fabric materials, a leather steering wheel, a digital instrument panel, and a 10.25-inch infotainment system with Apple Carplay and Android Auto.

Safety-wise, it gets hill start assist, a reverse camera, and a tire pressure monitoring system on top of the standard technologies that come with the hatchback.

The MG 3 is powered by a 1.5-liter engine that generates up to 187 hp to 250 Nm.

It has a sticker price that ranges from P678,888-P1.088 million.

Photos from Juan Paulo Papa and Mazda Philippines

Also read:

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

'Refreshed' Honda City Hatchback arrives in PH