The 2023 Honda City's update in India brings a new face and a hybrid powertrain

The Honda City is in the best shape it’s ever been. The model has struck a chord with a ton of buyers here, but it seems that the model is getting set up for a facelift sometime in the near future. In the Indian market, at least, the model has already gotten an update with a new grille, front bumper, rear bumper, and a few upgrades over the current generation that we have now. 

For 2023, the Indian market’s Honda City got its first refresh. The updates may be minor, but it does well to make the already-stylish sedan even more of a looker. There are small upgrades all over in this refresh. 

Starting with the exterior, we get a new face for the subcompact sedan. It’s also not improbable that the new bumper design will end up on the Honda City Hatchback eventually, but as it stands, we’re only seeing the sedan version for now. We also get a slightly tweaked honeycomb grille, but this design feature will be given to the high-end variants, while lower variants will get vertical slats. We’re still seeing the same headlights for the model in its 2023 version, however. 

The rear bumper is also updated for the 2023 model year in India. The rear reflectors have been relocated to the bottom of the bumper, and a faux air diffuser at the back adds a bit of sportiness to the back of the City. Wheels are said to come in either a 15-inch or a 16-inch size. 

More upgrades can be seen on the inside. With the quick look that we had, we saw a semi-digital gauge cluster. We’re also seeing that the Indian model will get an eight-speaker sound system as part of its top-of-the-line package, along with automatic wipers, a sunroof, a wireless charging pad, a rear sunshade, and also beige leather seats. 

Unlike the Philippine market, Honda India will field two powertrain options which include the existing 1.5-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder gasoline motor with 119 hp and 145 Nm of torque that can be paired with either a six-speed manual or a CVT. The other powertrain is a 1.5-liter i-VTEC e:HEV hybrid unit that makes 124 hp and 253 Nm of torque. In addition to the added power and torque, the City in this configuration gets a full set of disc brakes all around plus the added benefit of an electronic parking brake. 

On top of that, the City will get the Honda SENSING safety suite which includes collision mitigation braking, road departure warning, lane-keep assist, lead car departure notification, adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, and an automatic high beam feature. The features indicate that our local Honda Cities might have a ways to go in terms of upgrades, and we can’t wait to see what Honda Cars Philippines has in store for the next update. 

For now, the model has yet to reach the ASEAN region. We expect that the model will make its way first to Thailand and then to the rest of ASEAN. Hopefully, we get more features once the model makes its way over to the Philippines.