Leaked photos may have spoiled the surprise, but Honda has carried on with the launch of its updated subcompact sedan.

Honda Cars India has hosted the global debut of the refreshed Honda City, featuring the second minor model change for the sedan since it was first launched in 2019.

Compared to the first facelift from three years ago, the City underwent a more substantial change in its front fascia for the latest update. The LED headlights flank the new honeycomb grille, which is connected by a light strip.

Likewise, the lower part of the front bumper has been heavily revised with the lower grille having a trapezoidal shape, while the side intakes are much larger. The new City also sports the new laminated Honda logo, which has a blue halo for the e:HEV variant.

Save for the addition of side mirror cameras and a new 16-inch wheel design, the new City retains most of its side profile features. The rear end has also been updated with clear lenses for the taillights, vertically oriented reflectors, and a ducktail spoiler available for the e:HEV model. 

Inside, the new City retains its familiar layout, but comes with a few nice additions. One is a bigger 10.25-inch touchscreen with wireless smartphone connectivity and serves as the monitor for the new 360-degree camera. New graphics are also found on the instrument cluster, while the equipment list gets longer with ambient lighting, cooled seats, wireless charging, and a sunroof for the Indian market model. 

As expected, Honda has retained the 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine that makes 121 PS and 145 Nm of torque, while the 1.5-liter e:HEV with 126 PS and 253 Nm of torque is also offered in India, promising up to 27.26 km/l.

Honda Sensing features such as adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and forward collision warning have been carried over, along with six airbags in its list of safety features.

Honda Cars Philippines is yet to reveal teasers of its model lineup for PIMS. Given the tight schedule between its global debut and PIMS, we’re not getting our hopes up that the updated City would make it to the show. However, the model, along with its hatchback version, is already available for pre-booking in Thailand, where HCPI sources out the City. This means a PH market launch could be possible in the coming months.