The Honda City remains one of the country’s most sought-after subcompact cars today, and it’s pretty understandable. The runabout has good looks, great performance, and a slew of creature comforts. During last year’s media drive for the Civic, Honda Cars Philippines revealed that it intended to have all of its models to get the Honda Sensing suite of safety features.

That day for the City has come with the release of its refreshed version today. But Honda didn’t just slap some ADAS features on its subcompact sedan—the carmaker did some tweaks to the exterior styling.

The front has been revised with a new grille pattern design, with the lower variants swapping the huge grille garnish for a slimmer, sleeker one. It’s finished in chrome for the V, and gray for the S and new E variants. The front bumper has also been revised with horizontal slats on the bigger lower air intake.

The wheels get new designs and come in at 15 inches on the S and the E, and 16 inches for the V and the RS, while the rear bumper looks sportier. The City comes in six finishes, including the new hero color, Obsidian Blue Pearl, which is available on both the V and the RS.

Much of the interior has been left untouched, except for several tech updates including a 4.2-inch LCD in the instrument cluster, an improved eight-inch infotainment with a higher-quality reverse camera, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support. If anything, it still is one of the roomiest and most premium-feeling in the segment.

The mechanicals were also carried over. Those include the 1.5-liter i-VTEC gasoline engine that makes 119hp and 145Nm. This is paired with a CVT. RS variants get paddle shifters.

But the biggest update has to be the inclusion of the Honda Sensing suite of advanced driver-assist technologies across the entire product range.

This means all variants from the E to the range-topping RS get adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation braking system, lane-keeping assist, road-departure mitigation, and lane-departure warning. It also gets auto high beams and lead car departure notification, alongside a rear-seat reminder and walk-away auto door locks for the V and RS variants.

This makes the City the only subcompact in its price range to feature such advanced driver-assist systems, regardless of the variant you’re getting (the E is a new variant). Here are the prices:

• 1.5 E CVT Honda Sensing – P973,000
• 1.5 S CVT Honda Sensing – P998,000
• 1.5 V CVT Honda Sensing – P1,073,000
• 1.5 RS CVT Honda Sensing – P1,128,000

You can check out the new Honda City in the metal at the SM Megamall Fashion Hall from July 13 to 16 (10am to 10pm). If you can’t make it though, don’t worry as Honda’s website or any of its 37 dealerships nationwide will have more information on the vehicle.

With the new City’s launch, the subcompact car wars just got more exciting.