Which 2024 Honda City Sedan variant should you buy? [Comparison Guide]

The Honda City Sedan has received a refresh for the 2024 model year. In the local market, it has four different variants: the top-spec RS CVT, the mid-spec V CVT, the S CVT, and the entry-level E CVT. These are offered with a price ranging from Php 973,000 to Php 1,128,000.

2024 Honda City Sedan RS CVT

With four choices of City Sedan trims to choose from, buyers might be a bit confused about how to pick the right one for their needs. So to help with that, here’s a short guide on how these four City variants differ from one another. 

For those who want to customize their non-RS variants though, buyers of the Philippine-spec City can buy its Modulo kit. In a nutshell, this kit provides a sportier look for the V, S, and E. 

Honda City Sedan Variants: Exterior

Starting off with the exterior, the top-spec City Sedan RS CVT stands out visually. It also has the most exterior features. For instance, it is the only trim that gets gloss black paint jobs for its grille, door mirrors, trunk spoiler, and shark fin antenna. The rest meanwhile, use the car’s body color for these parts. 

City Sedan RS CVT from the rear

Also exclusive to the RS is a Sport front and rear bumper and a side sill garnish. Both the RS and the V ride on 16-inch wheels, but only the top-spec model’s wheelset gets a black cut design. The S meanwhile gets a set of 15-inch alloy wheels, while the entry-level E uses 15-inch steel wheels. 

Regarding exterior features, only the RS comes with LED headlamps and LED front fog lamps. The rest come standard with halogen headlamps but only the V gets halogen front fog lamps, and the S and E don’t come with fog lights. All four variants do come with a headlight auto on/off function and a headlight auto-off timer.

2024 Honda City Sedan V CVT

Likewise standard on the entire City Sedan variant lineup are LED daytime running lamps, LED taillights, and an LED high-mount stop lamp. All four also get an intermittent front wiper and a single exhaust setup, but only the RS and V are kitted out with power-folding side mirrors. 

Size-wise, the RS is by far the longest variant with a length of 4,589mm. The other three, in turn, are 4,580mm long. All three have a uniform width of 1,748mm, the same height of 1,467mm, and the same wheelbase length spanning 2,600mm. 

City Sedan V CVT with the Modulo kit

Honda City Sedan Variants: Interior

The interior of all of the Honda City Sedan’s four different variants can comfortably seat up to five. The RS though, again stands out visually thanks to its black with red trim interior. The V is differentiated by its black and silver trim interior, whereas the S and E variants are far simpler with their black-only interiors. 

Inside the City Sedan RS

On top of that, the RS is the only variant that gets a dark red interior garnish, Sport pedals, a rear seat armrest, and high gloss black trims for its outlets. It is also the only variant that offers a leather-wrapped center armrest. The V does get a fabric center armrest, while the E and S forgo this feature entirely.

The only two that come with automatic air-conditioning are the RS and V. Cooling inside the S and E meanwhile, is done via a manual AC system. Also, only the RS gets leather-clad seats, while the rest get fabric seats. 

A peek inside the V CVT's cockpit

Regarding driver amenities, the most generous trims are the RS and the V. Both get a three-spoke leather steering wheel, a leather-wrapped shift knob, and smart entry, but only the top-spec model has remote engine start. All four trims do get a push-to-start button, a windshield defogger, a manually- adjustable driver’s seat, and a tilt and telescopic steering column.

Honda City Sedan Variants: Tech & Safety

Handling the entertainment needs of the City RS, V, and S variants is an eight-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It also has Bluetooth, and USB connectivity. The E though gets a simpler 2DIN headunit with Bluetooth and a USB port. The E, S, and V get a total of four speakers, while the RS gets a total of eight speakers, which includes four tweeters. 

A closer look at the City Sedan's central touchscreen {RS variant pictured)

For their driver displays, the City Sedan comes standard with an analog gauge cluster. All four also come with a 4.2-inch digital trip meter but the RS gets a red ambient light, while the ones on the V, S, and E have white and green ambient lighting. 

Safety-wise, all four variants of the City Sedan are pretty much uniform with some select exceptions. For example, only the RS and V get a reverse camera and a walk-away auto door lock feature. The RS is also the only trim that comes with side curtain airbags. 

Common on all four variants meanwhile are dual front airbags, side airbags, anti-lock braking, ISOFIX child seat anchors, hill-start assist, speed-sensing door locks, an engine immobilizer, a car alarm, stability control, and seat belt reminders for all seats. 

City Sedan RS CVT rear cabin

To support the standard safety bits mentioned above, all four variants also get the Honda Sensing driver-assistive safety suite. This includes adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation, lane keep assist, road departure mitigation, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and a lead car departure notification feature. 

Honda City Sedan Variants: Engine

Under the hood of all four City Sedan variants is a naturally aspirated 1.5-liter inline-4 gasoline engine. On all City Sedan trims, the said four-banger can make up to 119 horsepower and 145 Nm of torque. 

The Honda City Sedan's 1.5-liter engine

Likewise standard on this model is a continuously variable transmission (CVT) sending power to its front wheels. The RS does get paddle shifters for better control of its transmission. 

For stopping power, the City Sedan uses a ventilated disc for the front, a drum brake for the rear, and a manual hand brake. These are all standard for all City Sedan variants. 

Honda City Sedan Variants: Price

Honda City Sedan Variants: Conclusion

As one can see, the City Sedan trims are pretty much identical to each other when it comes to providing safety and engine capacity. The key to choosing one over the other, however, is their varying amount of creature comforts, and how they look. 

If one prioritizes a sedan that stands out in terms of appearance, the RS might float your boat. The V and S meanwhile, lean more towards quiet elegance, whereas the E is the more utilitarian among the four. Do remember though that the Modulo kit exists so one can actually pep the non-RS trims up if you want. 

The City Sedan V CVT from the rear

The features present on the car also get more extensive as you go up the City Sedan’s variant lineup. This is especially true with the RS, which is the only one that gets LED headlamps and remote starting - two features that are always a plus.

As we always say though, knowing the specs can only do so much, and a better alternative would be giving each of these variants a test drive. 

For more variant guides, keep it here on Philkotse.