More features, more value, and more to love with the 2024 Honda Brio and City

Honda Cars Philippines Inc. is launching the mid-cycle refreshes of two of its best-selling subcompacts in the market, the Honda Brio and the Honda City. The two make their debut with new standard tech and safety features, along with a brand-new look that keeps things fresh, and elevates the characters of each car. 

The new Brio gets a wealth of new updates in its top-of-the-line trim, and a bunch of new standard inclusions that help modernize the driving experience. The small hatchback is well-loved by owners, but the 2024 year model promises to bring the Brio to a whole new level. 

The 2024 Brio gets a new front fascia, which includes a refreshed bumper, a refreshed grille, new headlights and foglamps for the RS trim, all-new body kits for the RS trim,  and even a new color into the lineup: Electric Lime Metallic. 

The new Brio also gets DRLs for the first time in the models’ history, and the LEDs are also a great touch to see from Honda, which will definitely enhance the night-driving experience in the small hatch. Meanwhile, all the other RS goodies are here, with a new bumper lip, a new rear diffuser, and new side skirts—all crowned by an RS-exclusive grille, a rear spoiler, black accents, and an all-new set of RS badges. 

The wheels of the Brio range from 14 inches all the way up to 15 inches—for the RS trim. All other variants will get silver wheels, but the RS will receive a two-tone set of alloys. 

There is not much to say about the interior, apart from the fact that Honda’s going with red accents on its dashboard, and its fabric seats, instead of the black and orange that we’ve seen in the previous iteration. Honda has also dialed back the amount of accents in the interior, resulting in a marginally classier overall look—at least in the case of the RS variant. For non-RS trims, the Brio will get a silver and black interior and the non-RS seats without an adjustable headrest like the pre-facelift model and no red accents on the seats. Also, the RS-specific gauge cluster is also updated and toned down, with red accents instead of orange ones with an RS badge as found in the pre-facelift models. 

Apart from the mior interior changes, , one that has been anticipated by many given the previous-generation’s system. Now with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, the new Kenwood seven-inch infotainment unit still retains the audio controls on the steering wheel, and also up to six speakers in the RS and four speakers in the S all the way to the V trims. 

The Honda Brio gets a new set of parking sensors at the rear, which is standard for all variants of the hatchback. From the S all the way to the RS, you won’t have to worry about backing up too far in this small car. Meanwhile, all the other important safety features were retained such as Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS), dual front airbags, electric brakeforce distribution (EBD), and Honda’s G-CON technology for impact absorption in the event of a crash. 

Still rocking the 1.2-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine, the Brio still makes 89 hp and 119 Nm of torque. Most of the variants in the lineup will use the CVT—still, but Honda’s still offering a manual transmission option for those who prefer driving stick. 

The price of the Honda Brio is as follows: 

• 1.2 S MT - P735,000
• 1.2 V CVT - P827,000
• 1.2 RS CVT - P853,000
• 1.2 RS CVT (Stellar Diamond Pearl) - P873,000 
• 1.2 RS Black Top CVT - P863,000 
• 1.2 RS Black Top CVT (Stellar Diamond Pearl) - P883,000

The bigger of the Brio, and one of Honda’s best-selling cars in the country, elevates the brand’s standard of safety and technology all while introducing a new look. Unprecendented value is what the Honda City’s newest model hopes to achieve, and with a new standard set of features and a new face, it appears that the model’s rivals will need to step up their game. 

The new City gets a new set of front and rear bumpers, as well as new additions in the RS variant. The model gets a little more aggressive with its look, especially for the RS trim, with sharper lines on the bumper, faux carbon elements, and a new lip and diffuser that look even sportier than before. A new RS grille and several new RS emblems also adorn the model and making a return is the LED headlights that are exclusive to the RS trim. Other variants will come equipped with halogen headlamps, but the DRLs are a standard feature for all trims. On top of this, the headlights are also supported by Headlight Auto On/OFf with a 15-second Auto Off Timer. 

Wheels come in—still—at 16 inches for the RS, and 15 inches for the trims below it. The S variant will receive steel wheels, the V variant and up gets alloys, and the RS gets Black Cut wheels in the larger size. 

Other RS features like the gloss black spoiler, the additional body kits, and the RS badges also make a return. The variant, in particular, as gloss-black accents that bring it in line with the RS trim’s sporty character. A new color is also added to the lineup, with Obsidian Blue Pearl being made available for the RS CVT and V CVT variants). 

There are major and minor changes to the interior of the new Honda City. The RS gets a bulk of the updates, but the rest of the model lineup also gets some of the additions. One major update is a new windshield shape, which promises to enhance visibility in the cabin. Following that, the RS now gets full leather seats with a new design along with sport pedals and new interior accent panels. Red accents have been dialed down in some areas, but turned up in others like the dashboard. Dark Red is the color to watch out for in the City RS, and the front panel garnish and high-gloss black interior accents all come together to bring the RS experience together. Meanwhile, the V gets high-gloss black and silver interior accents, which is more for consumers who want a more premium car approach to interior trimming. 

The new City will also come with an all-new set of gauges. The new 4.2-inch full-color TFT Meter with Red Ambient Light Instrument cluster is available for the RS tirm, and this set of gauges hope to bring more functionality to the RS model while adding a hit of red for added sportiness. Meanwhlie, the rest of the variants get a 4.2 full color TFT Meter with White and Gree Ambient lights. 

As for the infotainment system, we’ll be seeing the same eight-inch system as found in the pre-facelift model, but Honda did state that the screen camera are new and improved, and hoping to offer more clarity and resolution for it and even the camera gets a bump in quality. However, the biggest upgrade in terms of multimedia is the now wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functions baked in. 

The 1.5-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder motor is still available for the City. Still dual-overhead cams, still mated to a CVT, the whole lineup will get 119 hp and 145 Nm of torque and it’s marked as the most powerful engine in its segment, and able to net 22.2 kilometers per liter, according to the latest UN-R101 Fuel Economy Testing for highway driving conditions in Japan. 

Perhaps the biggest headlining feature of the Honda City in its 2024 model year is the standardization of the Honda SENSING suite of safety features for the entire lineup. From the E all the way to the RS, buyers of this car will be pleased to know that Lead Car Departure Notification System, Collision Mitigation Braking System, Lane eeping Assist System, Road Departure Mitigation System, Lane Departure Warning, Adaptive Cruise control, and Auto-High Beam will all be a part of the vehicle’s kit no matter what variant you choose. 

Also, the passive safety feature are also still class-leading with four standard airbags for all tirms, with six for the RS trim, and a few more features baked in like Rear Seat Reminder, and Walkaway Auto Door Lock (for RS and V variants). 

Pricing for the new Honda City is as follows: 

• 1.5 E CVT Honda SENSING - P973,000
• 1.5 S CVT Honda SENSING - P998,000 
• 1.5 V CVT Honda SENSING - P1,073,000
• 1.5 V CVT Honda SENSING (Platinum White Pearl) - P1,093,000 
• 1.5 RS CVT Honda SENSING - P1,128,000 
• 1.5 RS CVT Honda SENSING (Platinum White Pearl) - P1,148,000