The 2024 Honda City actually changed things this time around
I spent about three weeks with the e:HEV RS variant in Manila before writing this down. The previous generation felt like a car that had simply stopped evolving. This one at least moved forward a little. Pricing in the Philippines starts at 1.078 million pesos for the 1.5L manual, climbs to 1.328 million for the CVT variant, and sits at 1.498 million for the top-spec hybrid. That last number matters because you are paying a premium for the e:HEV system, not just more leather seats. The engine bay tells two different stories depending on which badge you pick. The 1.5L i-VTEC four-cylinder in the base models makes 121 horsepower and 145 Nm of torque. It is paired with either a five-speed manual or a CVT. The CVT version feels adequate but never exciting. The hybrid uses a 1.5L Atkinson-cycle engine making just 96 horsepower, but that is not the point. The electric motor produces 109 kW and 253 Nm, and most of your driving happens through the motor alone at city speeds. The gasoline engine mostly generators electricity above 70 km/h or when the battery needs charging. I noticed something odd during my test drive that nobody seems to mention in the brochures. The regenerative braking feel is not seamless. When you lift off the accelerator after a hard pull from a standstill, the regen kicks in fairly aggressively and then suddenly drops off as you approach cruising speed. It creates this weird jerky feeling if you are trying to maintain a perfectly smooth pace in traffic. After a few days I learned to modulate my foot slightly instead of relying purely on regen, which helped a lot.
What the specs sheet actually hides
Ground clearance sits at 145 mm across the range. That sounds fine on paper until you hit the speed bumps in older subdivisions where the concrete lips stick up maybe 20 mm higher than advertised. I scraped the front lip once going in at a sharp angle. The wheelbase is 2600 mm, which gives decent rear legroom but the front seats in the RS variant have aggressive bolstering that some shorter drivers find uncomfortable on longer trips. I am 178 cm and ended up readjusting my position every hour or so. The boot space is 516 liters in the non-hybrid versions. The hybrid loses about 30 liters because the battery pack sits underneath the rear seat area, which means the floor sits slightly higher and you cannot lay flat cargo through to the cabin. If you regularly haul long items like plywood or bicycle frames, stick with the petrol CVT. The 6-speaker audio system in base models is exactly what you would expect from a budget audio system. The Bose setup in the RS hybrid has better clarity at volume but the bass is still tinny below 80 Hz. Not a dealbreaker, but if sound quality matters to you at all, budget for an aftermarket upgrade.
The infotainment situation
The 9-inch touchscreen runs Honda Connect and supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It works reliably once connected, but the initial pairing can take up to two minutes if your phone has multiple profiles saved. One thing that genuinely frustrates me is that the physical volume knob was removed. You have to dig into the menu or use voice commands to adjust volume while driving. Voice commands work reasonably well for navigation but the natural language processing stumbles on anything that is not a direct street name. The Honda Sensing suite comes standard across all variants now, which is good. Adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and collision mitigation braking all function competently. The lane keep assist is arguably too eager at times and will nudge the steering wheel back even when you are deliberately changing lanes without using the indicator. I turned it off on highway stretches where I do a lot of lane changes, but that means you lose the other features too since they are bundled together in the settings menu.
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Real world fuel economy numbers
The official figures claim 23.8 km/L for the hybrid. In my mixed driving conditions around Metro Manila, I consistently got between 18 and 20 km/L. Highway running at a steady 100 km/h pushed it closer to 21 km/L, which is respectable. The 1.5L CVT variant managed roughly 14 to 15 km/L in the same conditions. That is a meaningful difference if you drive more than 20,000 km a year. The hybrid saves you real money on fuel, but you need to account for the higher purchase price over a longer time horizon to see the break-even point. One edge case that caught me off guard: the hybrid system struggles in extreme traffic with the air conditioning on max. The battery state of charge drops faster than expected when idling in congestion with heavy electrical load, and the gasoline engine spins up more frequently than it should in theory. It is not a broken issue, just a quirk of the power management strategy. Honda has not released a software update addressing this yet, so if you live somewhere with stop-and-go traffic and hot weather year round, factor that into your decision.
Build quality and common complaints
The interior materials feel solid for the segment. Soft-touch plastics on the dashboard and door panels are genuine, and the assembly gaps are tight. However, the piano black trim around the gear selector and center console shows fingerprints like nothing else I have seen. I ended up keeping a microfiber cloth in the cup holder just to wipe it down weekly. It is a minor annoyance but it does look sloppy if you do not maintain it. Suspension tuning favors comfort over sportiness, which is appropriate for a car in this category. Body roll is visible during cornering at speed but never alarming. The ride quality over rough Philippine roads is genuinely good, absorbing potholes and uneven pavement without transmitting harsh impacts into the cabin. Road noise at highway speeds is moderate, with some tire roar coming through from the wheel arches if you fit aggressive tread patterns. Stick with the factory tires and it is fine.
Is it worth the money in 2024
The Compact segment is crowded. Toyota Vios, Hyundai Verna, and MG 5 are all competing for the same buyers. The City holds its value better than most competitors, which matters if you plan to sell within three to five years. Resale values for the Civic-grade Honda badge in this segment remain strong in Southeast Asian markets. The hybrid variant specifically tends to retain value better than the petrol versions because fuel efficiency is a growing concern for buyers. Where the City weakens is in raw driving dynamics. If you want something that feels engaging to drive, look elsewhere. The CVT simulation in sport mode is a gimmick, and even the hybrid does not feel particularly swift despite the instant torque from the electric motor. It is quick off the line in city driving, but highway overtakes require planning and patience. The braking feel is also notchy compared to competitors like the Verna, which uses a more linear hydraulic setup. For most buyers this car does exactly what it promises: comfortable daily transport with low running costs and a reputation for reliability. The hybrid powertrain is the clear choice if your driving is mostly urban. If you do a lot of highway miles, the petrol CVT variant gives you similar space and features for less upfront cost. The question really comes down to whether the fuel savings justify the price premium over your ownership period, and that calculation looks different depending on how many kilometers you put on the odometer each year.
