2023 City facelift revealed with Honda Sensing

After several leaks and sightings, the latest generation of Honda’s popular B-segment sedan gets its first refresh. Say hello to the 2023 Honda City, and while the updates are maybe hard to spot, it gets some neat upgrades both inside and out.

Beginning with the exterior changes first, the 2023 City now comes with a slimmer Solid Wing Face bar. As for the grille itself, it gets a revised honeycomb design on higher-grade models while lesser variants now come with vertical slats. The foglight bezels, on the other hand, now look simpler on the range-topping version and no longer have a gill-like design.

Changes to the back are more subtle and not easily noticeable. However, keen-eyed viewers might have noticed it gets a new rear bumper. What’s more, the vertical reflectors are no more as they have been replaced with horizontal ones tucked underneath the back bumper. Rounding everything up is a new set of alloy wheels available in either 15- or 16-inch sizes.

The interior of the 2023 City also received some minor upgrades. Like the HR-V Turbo and the Civic, the B-segment sedan is now available with a part-digital, part-analog instrument cluster via a 7-inch multi-info display. High-grade variants now also come with a sunroof, rain-sensing wipers, an 8-speaker sound system, beige leather seats, a wireless charging pad, and a manual rear sunshade.

Like before, automatic climate control and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment provide the necessary amenities in the City. The former is accompanied by rear vents while the latter comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Under the hood, two powertrain options are available for the refreshed sedan. First is the carried-over 1.5-liter i-VTEC DOHC four-cylinder that makes 121 PS with 145 Nm of torque. It can be paired with either a 6-speed manual or a CVT.

The other engine is the 1.5-liter i-VTEC e:HEV hybrid which is helped by an electric motor. It has a total system output of 126 PS and a whopping 253 Nm of torque. It is then paired with an e-CVT and is the only variant to come with four-wheel disc brakes and an electronic parking brake (non-hybrids get rear drums and a manual parking brake).

For the first time, Honda Sensing is now available in the refreshed City. This gives the B-segment sedan a suite of intelligent driver aids for extra peace of mind while on the road. Like the rest of its stablemates, the Honda Sensing suite gives the sedan the following; collision mitigation braking, road departure mitigation, lane-keeping assist, lead car departure notification, adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, and automatic high beam.

With India the first market to receive the 2023 Honda City, we won’t be surprised if Thailand will be next in line as the Bangkok International Motor Show is set to happen later this month. With that, we can also expect the updated Honda City to make its way to the Philippines soon after. The only question now is, will the PH-spec City get the same level of features as the one recently launched in India?