Sixth Sense

I have two nieces and a nephew living in Sydney in Australia, and I sometimes worry about them driving by themselves. They’re fairly new behind the wheel, and they go around town in a Honda City. I guess I won’t have to worry too much if only they would upgrade their City to the one that now incorporates the Japanese carmaker’s patented Sensing technology.

I was able to familiarize myself more with the Sensing technology last July 17 when I joined Honda Cars Philippines’ media ride-and-drive of the new City Hatchback and Sedan variants, starting from Honda Cars Manila Bay, to two other dealerships, Honda Cars Angeles-Clark in Pampanga, and Honda Cars Baliuag in Bulacan. The ride-and-drive is a follow-up to the official public launch of the model last June 14. The City hatchback and sedan now join Honda’s lineup of models equipped with the Sensing’s array of safety features.

I call the Honda Sensing technology the brand’s “sixth sense,” because its systems can figure out, or see, well in advance what our ordinary senses can’t. The Honda Sensing includes the following features that can be literally lifesavers: 1) lead car departure notification system; 2) adaptive cruise control (ACC); 3) collision mitigation braking system (CMBS); 4) lane keeping assist system (LKAs); 5) road departure mitigation (RDM) with lane departure warning (LDW), and; 6) auto high beam.

I imagine Honda Sensing as the extra senses that keep you safe and alert every time you get behind the wheel of a Honda car, and now more Honda owners can have these extra senses. Perhaps it was just a matter of time before Honda equipped its more relatively affordable models such as the City with the Sensing, as the tech was previously exclusive to the more high-end models.

It was quite fascinating to experience the Honda Sensing at work while actually driving the new City. Just as instructor Georges Ramirez suggested, we tried the different features of the Sensing, except for the CMBS, of course. I felt like there was a backseat driver every time one of the alerts lit up, or when the steering wheel offered tangible resistance when I went off my lane without flicking the turn signal. Unlike annoying human backseat drivers, though, these alerts and system “overrides” felt assuring and added to my own driving confidence.

For instance, on the run along the North Luzon Expressway, I would be reminded by the system to stay in my lane (the LKAs feature). Of course, this only works when the lane markings are clear. The driver can also choose among three safe distance settings: Short, middle and long. This safe distance setting is part of the ACC’s features which allows the driver to maintain a safe distance with the vehicle ahead despite changes in speed, as the system takes over the acceleration and braking duties.The day tour took our group of City Hatchbacks and sedans to two distinctive Honda Cars dealerships, aside from our starting point at Honda Cars Manila Bay. The first stop, Honda Cars Angeles-Clark in Pampanga, featured a 270-degree view of its expansive showroom, while the next stop, Honda Cars Baliuag in Bulacan, offered a zen-like Japanese-themed café lounge between the dealership’s showroom and its after-sales offices.

The addition of the New City Hatchback and sedan to the Honda Sensing lineup means that most models that HCPI carries are now equipped with the carmaker’s signature safety technology, marking a major step toward Honda’s global goal of a collision-free society by 2050.

Every year, more than 1.3 million people die in road traffic crashes worldwide. In the Philippines, road traffic deaths are increasing. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show that road traffic deaths have increased by 39 percent, from 7,938 fatalities in 2011 to 11,096 in 2021. The World Health Organization said that road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among Filipinos 15-29 years old, and a major killer among children.

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On top of its vehicles’ engineering and design, Honda Cars’ Sensing technology is a key component of HCPI’s “Safety for Everyone” campaign, which emphasizes the carmaker’s commitment to safety for all, not just for its vehicles’ drivers and occupants. This inclusivity is crucial as Honda worldwide announced in April 2021 that it would aim for a mobility society, free from fatalities by 2050, when these accidents involved the brand’s motorcycles and automobiles.

The New City Hatchback is available in Sonic Gray Pearl, Ignite Red Metallic, Platinum White Pearl, Meteoroid Gray Metallic and Brilliant Sporty Blue Metallic. The New City Hatchback retails at P1,189,000.

So, if you feel like you need a “third eye” for your safety and those of your loved ones whenever you’re out driving, the new City Hatchback and sedan can be the car to have in mind. Test drive for yourself the new City at your nearest Honda Cars dealership, or log on to https://www.hondaphil.com/dealer-finder. Learn more about Honda Sensing and other latest technologies at https://www.hondaphil.com/technology. INQ