With the introduction of the All-New Honda City Hatchback, Honda is expanding its renowned City model line-up serving as the brand’s newest offering in the B-Segment hatchback category.

GRAND CONCEPT

Compared to the Sedan’s grand concept of “Ambitious Sedan”, the All-New City Hatchback was derived from the grand concept of “Energetic hatchback” which aims to exude a more active and energetic character.  While sharing values in terms of comfort, premium and high quality with the sedan, the All-New City Hatchback aims to provide a sporty yet versatile and cool vehicle that would complement the diverse needs of customers based on their active lifestyle.

EXTERIOR

The exterior design in the All-New City hatchback was developed with a concept of “Energetic” by adding strength and the activeness of the sedan resulting in a “cutting edge” and “sporty” combination.  Given this concept, the All-New City Hatchback further emphasizes its sportiness by embodying a sleek exterior design combined with a low height and widened width presenting an energetic feel with solid power.

The All-New City Hatchback retains the same 2600mm wheelbase similar to that of the City sedan. However, given its hatchback body style, the All-New City Hatchback is 21mm taller and 204mm shorter than its sedan counterpart. This is due to the removal of its rear overhang giving it a sporty exterior look while maintaining the capability of diverse cargo capacity.

Available only with a lone RS variant, the All-New City Hatchback shares some RS design elements together with the sedan, giving a stronger impression of its sporty characteristics.

Upfront, The All-New City Hatchback comes with its RS Design Front Bumper and RS Design High Gloss Black front grille with RS Emblem, complemented by full LED headlights and LED Daytime Running Lights that expresses an integrated solid wing face similar to that of the RS sedan. At the side, the High Gloss Black Power Folding Mirrors and 16 inch Two-Tone Berlina Black Aluminum Alloy Wheels further contributes to the All-New City Hatchback’s strong side profile character design. At the rear, sporty styling cues such as the RS Design Rear Bumper with a sophisticated diffuser, High Gloss Black Tailgate spoiler and Full LED taillights give the All-New City Hatchback an impression of being more active and young complementing its distinct sporty hatchback look.

INTERIOR

On the inside, the All-New City Hatchback continues its “Energetic” concept with the vehicle’s interior. The All-New City Hatchback features a spacious cabin complemented by high quality materials similar to the sedan. Comprised noticeably of its suede and leather seats, black interior trims with red stitching and accents, leather wrapped shift knob and steering wheel with audio controls, front and rear center armrests, sports pedals and Multi-information Display with red illumination, the All-New City Hatchback embodies an overall premium interior complementing its sporty RS design exterior.

Given its hatchback styling and configuration, the All-New City Hatchback comes equipped with Honda’s signature Ultra Seats (ULTR) which allows the rear seats to be folded flat or flipped up giving the All-New City Hatchback the versatility to quickly adapt to a wide variety of passenger lifestyle and cargo hauling needs. The All-New City Hatchback features four ULTR adjustable modes namely:

• Utility Mode: with the two rear seats folded flat, the vehicle can carry two passengers and accommodate large cargo items in the rear storage area.
• Long Mode: with the front passenger seat fully reclined and rear passenger seat folded flat, the vehicle can carry two passengers and accommodate long cargo items such as surfboards.
• Tall Mode: with the rear seats folded upward, the vehicle can accommodate tall items that need to remain upright, such as a large plant or tall luggage.
• Refresh Mode: When removing the front-seat head restraints, moving the seats all the way forward and tilting the seatbacks all the way back, the Refresh Mode allows the front and rear seats to be connected providing a comfortable place for two people to relax.

On top of its premium yet sporty and versatile interior, the All-New City Hatchback also boasts an array of various technology features such as an 8-inch Advanced Touchscreen Display Audio with Apple CarPlay Android Auto & WebLink connectivity, an 8 (4 + 4 Tweeters) Speaker system, and a new Air Conditioning System with Rotary Knobs, Digital Display and Illumination.

Adding to the comfort and advanced features, the All-New City Hatchback also features a One Push Start System with Smart Entry Keyless Entry System and Remote Engine Start, which provides added convenience and ease of access.

ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION

Powering the All-New City Hatchback is a 1.5-Liter 4 Cylinder DOHC i-VTEC engine that produces a maximum power output of 121ps at 6,600 rpm and 145 Nm of torque at 4,300 rpm. The engine is mated to Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) that delivers a smooth, refined, powerful yet fuel-efficient driving performance while allowing for an engaging driving experience through the use of paddle shifters. Honda’s Eco Assist System, which consists of the ECON mode and Eco-Coaching Ambient Light is still available to help promote fuel efficient driving.

SAFETY

Together with its driving performance, fuel efficiency and versatile interior, Honda also gave utmost priority to safety. As standard, the All-New City Hatchback is equipped with G-Force Control (G-CON) body structure that helps to protect the vehicle’s cabin during collisions from any direction,  Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with Agile Handling Assist (AHA), Emergency Stop Signal (ESS), Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Hill Start Assist (HSA) and Multi-view Rear Camera with dynamic guidelines. To add to this, the All-New City Hatchback also comes standard with Six Airbags consisting of the dual front airbags, front driver and passenger side airbags and side curtain airbags. Given the array of safety features available, customers may expect top-notch collision safety performance with the All-New City Hatchback as it boasts a 5-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating, thus giving customers better safety and peace of mind on the road.

The All-New City Hatchback is now available at all 38 Honda dealerships nationwide with a suggested retail price (SRP) of Php 1,115,000 (Exclusive of PhP13,000 Safeguard Duty Cash deposit) and comes in four (4) colors:

• Ignite Red Metallic
• Meteoroid Gray Metallic (New Color)
• Platinum White Pearl* (Additional PhP 20,000)
• Brilliant Sporty Blue Metallic (Available by June 2021)

To know more about the All-New City Hatchback, visit the nearest Honda Cars dealership, or access Honda Cars Philippines, Inc.’s VIRTUAL SHOWROOM through HCPI’s official website at www.hondaphil.com.

This is a press release from Honda Philippines

The pandemic has definitely changed the world, including mobility. People are now looking for ways to stay safe and protected while moving from one place to another, and that includes choosing a suitable vehicle like an SUV which has become a more popular choice for Filipinos over the years.

The SUV market in the Philippines continues to grow at a rapid pace, thanks to Filipinos’ increasing preference for a vehicle that is safe, versatile, and offers value for money. In the midst of a health crisis, many first-time car buyers are looking for a vehicle that will give their money’s worth, making SUVs a good and practical choice because of capability, features, and driving performance.

The Ford EcoSport is one of the SUVs that has become a familiar sight on city streets because of its appeal to many Filipino drivers and passengers alike. The Ford EcoSport Trend, for instance, combines quality design, rugged capability, safety features, and great value for money into a vehicle that offers a comfortable driving experience, making it an ideal first vehicle for young professionals and value-seeking starting families.

Here are five (5) features on the Ford EcoSport Trend that make it the perfect partner for first-time car owners looking at SUVs as their first vehicle.

Height

Featuring a 209mm ground clearance, the Ford EcoSport can not only traverse through flooded city streets but is able to handle potholes and rocks without scraping its bottom.

Beyond offering better on-road dynamics than a traditional sedan, the EcoSport’s height advantage also gives drivers a better view of the road ahead.

Space

If you happen to be someone who brings a lot of things when going out, a compact SUV might just be the perfect partner for you.

Drivers can enjoy its 9-inch color touchscreen, steering wheel audio controls, Bluetooth connectivity, and two (2) 12V accessory power outlets for comfort and connectivity while on the road.

The Ford EcoSport offers more than enough space in its cabin and cargo, as its storage area is bigger than what is typically available in the trunk of a regular car.

Additionally, the Ford EcoSport has more than twenty storage compartments inside, giving users the space they need for coffee cups, smartphones, tables, umbrellas, and a lot more.

Technology

Unlike many sedans, the Ford EcoSport comes packed with a selection of technologies to enhance the driving experience.

Drivers can enjoy its 9-inch color touchscreen, steering wheel audio controls, Bluetooth connectivity, and two (2) 12V accessory power outlets for comfort and connectivity while on the road.

Safety

Safety is also assured in a Ford EcoSport SUV as it comes equipped with electric power-assisted steering, anti-lock braking system, hill start assist, traction control system, and electronic stability control. The rear view camera and rear park assist are both helpful in parking.

Affordability

The Ford EcoSport Trend is now available at a starting price of P799,000 or P23,000 all-in low downpayment. With the new starting price, the EcoSport is now one of the best value-for-money SUVs in the market today, as well as a better option for customers looking for a sedan because of its new price point.

To know more about the Ford EcoSport, visit www.ford.com.ph/suvs/ecosport or a Ford dealership nearest you.

This is a press release from Ford Philippines.

Two men died in a Tesla crash in Texas, and apparently, nobody was behind the wheel. The car crashed into a tree and burst into flames, which took fire personnel four hours to extinguish.

The 2019 Tesla Model S traveled at high speed when it failed to negotiate a curve and went off the roadway, local television station KPRC 2 said.

There was no one in the driver’s seat at the time of the crash, although it’s not clear whether the car’s driver-assist system called Autopilot was being used. The fire was huge because the battery would constantly reignite itself.

Police told the local news station that they believe nobody had been behind the wheel. But they have not finished their comprehensive investigation, and a preliminary investigation is not conclusive.

According to the New York Times that minutes before the crash, the wives of the men involved heard them say they wanted to go for a drive and were talking about the vehicle’s Autopilot feature. Tesla did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.

Tesla has often reiterated that its Autopilot system is not a full-fledged autonomous driving program and that drivers should focus on the road. The carmaker is under immense pressure as its semi-automated has proven to be an excellent safety package, but users often take it too far.

While Tesla cars have received exceptional safety ratings from regulators, its software is the most controversial bit. Many users have often leveraged it to run their cars automatically without paying attention to the road, a practice that’s not suggested by the company nor the law.