All-new Honda BR-V official in PH, comes with Honda SENSING

Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) Braved the Next Level as it officially launched the All-New Honda BR-V. Media partners, bank and insurance partners, and car club officers were present at the City of Dreams Manila to witness the next-generation 7-seater SUV’s launch event which was simultaneously streamed via HCPI’s official Facebook page.

With over 23,000 units sold locally since its Philippine introduction in 2016, the BR-V received warm market acceptance and has become one of HCPI’s best-selling models. Being the most powerful in its class with its premium look, sleek design, and advanced features, the BR-V continues to be one of HCPI’s well-loved vehicles.

Last September, the All-New Honda BR-V was previewed at the 8th Philippine International Motor Show. The 7-seater SUV received so much positive market response for its strong SUV appeal, bigger dimensions, superior safety features sealed with a 5-star ASEAN NCAP rating, advanced technology, and powerful yet fuel-efficient engine.

With its track record of top-notch quality and reliability, customers can have confidence and peace of mind about the ownership experience. HCPI also shared information about the availability of stocks for its customers.

Combining SUV design with MPV comfort

Exterior-wise, the All-New Honda BR-V exhibits a dynamic body shape accentuated by a compelling body line that runs from the front up to the back of the body along with a character line that runs from the side to the taillights. For the front fascia, all variants come with a matte black grille, while exclusive on the range-topping VX CVT Honda SENSING features a gloss black grille.

One of the main highlights of this all-new model is its higher ground clearance than the previous generation, giving it a stronger and more aggressive SUV stance.

Highlighting the toughness of its presence are the new 17-inch aluminum wheels available for all CVT grades. While the S MT comes with a set of 16-inch rims. Going over the rear, the BR-V is treated with newly designed LED taillights that elegantly illuminate the night.

It gets newly designed headlights that house Full LEDs with Daytime Running Lights (DRL). For optimized driver visibility on the road, LED fog lights are available on the VX CVT Honda SENSING, V CVT, and S CVT variants, while the auto on-off lighting function is standard on the top-of-the-line variant. 

For better convenience, the All-New BR-V features Power Adjustable Door Mirrors across all variants. Meanwhile, the VX CVT Honda SENSING and the V CVT variants come with Power Folding Door Mirrors with Integrated LED Side Turn Signal Lights. 

Well-designed and spacious interior

On the inside, the All-New BR-V continues to focus on its three core values. In terms of SUV value, the high-quality materials highlight the interior design for that bold and premium SUV character. For usability, the All-New BR-V shines in terms of MPV value, all thanks to its spacious cabin that has been significantly improved for both second and third-row occupants, plus, its flat folding seats allow flexible cargo loading which should be useful when carrying larger items.

Its well-designed cockpit area focuses on providing comfort and ample space for the driver and passengers. Filipino families may also experience a more enjoyable trip with the All-New BR-V’s 7-inch touchscreen display audio, paired with a 6-speaker sound system for VX CVT Honda SENSING and V CVT, while a 4-speaker sound system, on the other hand, is available for the S CVT and S MT variants.

The infotainment system supports various functions, including Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and USB connection.

With its flexible interior that features a 60:40 Split with One-Touch Tumble for the 2nd-row seats, and a 50:50 Split with Dive Down Mechanism for the 3rd-row seats, the redesigned All-New BR-V is purpose-built to serve a wide range of needs. Leather upholstery is exclusive to the VX CVT Honda SENSING and V CVT variants, while the S CVT and S MT are treated with high-grade fabric. It is also worth noting that the All-New BR-V now features a seat height adjuster for the driver.

Other convenience features include a One Push Start System for the VX CVT Honda SENSING, V CVT, and S CVT. Smart Entry, on the other hand, is available for VX CVT Honda SENSING and V CVT, while both the S CVT and S MT variants feature keyless entry. Steering wheel-mounted audio controls and rear air ventilation are standard across all variants.

On top of those features, the All-New BR-V is also available with Remote Engine Start which allows the driver to start the vehicle through the key fob, allowing it to partially cool the cabin before entering the BR-V. 

Engine, transmission, and official fuel economy result

Powering the All-New Honda BR-V is a new 1.5L DOHC i-VTEC engine with a maximum power of 121 PS and 145 Nm of torque. It provides powerful and confident driving performance in various road conditions. The improved engine is also supported by a new CVT transmission, aiding in better fuel efficiency and response.

Notably, the All-New BR-V achieved impressive fuel economy ratings of 24.71 kilometers per liter for the 1.5 V CVT, followed by the top-of-the-line 1.5 VX CVT Honda SENSING registering 23.49 kilometers per liter, while the 1.5 S CVT achieved 22.62 kilometers per liter based on the recently concluded fuel economy run conducted in partnership with the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP).

The test ran for 128 kilometers of highway driving, with 60-80 kph at 1,500-2,000 rpm, air-conditioning at 24°C temperature, and no. 1 fan speed.

Advanced safety features

In pursuit of Honda’s global goal of realizing zero traffic collision fatalities by 2050, the All-New BR-V’s top grade now comes with Honda SENSING, offering a series of advanced safety technologies that provide comprehensive protection for everyone sharing the road by giving warnings and automatically taking action to reduce the risk of accidents. 

The following Honda SENSING safety features include:

  • Lead Car Departure Notification System (LCDN) – keeps you informed by alerting when the car in front of you has moved ahead from a standstill.
  • Collision Mitigation Brake System (CMBS) – helps in time of a possible vehicle collision or when pedestrians are detected in front. CMBS is designed to provide warning to prevent a potential collision, or reduce vehicle speed to lessen the impact of an unavoidable collision.
  • Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) – keeps the vehicle at the center of the visible road lanes and in the best driving position as it guides you to follow the flow of the road.
  • Road Departure Mitigation System with Lane Departure Warning (RDM with LDW) – helps you avoid collision by providing audible and visual warnings whenever the car swerves to the other lane without the proper use of signal lights, while the LDW or Lane Departure warning notifies you when going off-course.
  • Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) – helps maintain a stable speed at a driver-determined distance from the vehicle in front.
  • Auto-High Beam (AHB) – this system allows the driver to automatically turn on the high beams when there are no other vehicles ahead and lower the beam appropriately when encountering oncoming traffic.

Furthermore, the All-New BR-V comes standard with Speed Sensing Auto Door Locks, Dual and Side Airbags, Reverse Camera with Guidelines, Driver and Front Passenger Seat Belt Reminder, Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), Hill Start Assist, Security Alarm, Immobilizer, Emergency Stop Signal, and ISO Fix Child Seat Anchor.

With all these safety features, the All-New BR-V has been awarded a 5-star rating in the latest ASEAN NCAP testing (New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asia). 

Honda genuine accessories for the all-new BR-V

Customers who would like to upgrade after purchasing their All-New BR-V may avail of the following accessories: exhaust pipe finisher, tailgate garnish, front fender garnish, door mirror garnish, side step garnish, door visor, cargo tray, rear seat back protector, and door handle protector.

Variants, pricing, and colors

The All-New Honda BR-V will be available in four variants with the following colors and suggested retail prices: 

Variants and Suggested Retail Prices:

  • All-New BR-V 1.5 S MT: PHP 1,090,000
  • All-New BR-V 1.5 S CVT: PHP 1,150,000
  • All-New BR-V 1.5 V CVT: PHP 1,295,000
  • All-New BR-V 1.5 VX CVT Honda SENSING: PHP 1,390,000

Available Colors:

  • Premium Opal White Silver Pearl (new color; VX CVT and V CVT)
  • Meteoroid Grey Metallic (new color; all variants)
  • Crystal Black Pearl (V CVT and S CVT)
  • Lunar Silver Metallic (all variants)
  • Taffeta White (S CVT and S MT)

*Premium Opal White Silver Pearl – Additional PhP 20,000

Inquire now at any of the 37 Honda Cars dealerships nationwide or head on to HCPI’s VIRTUAL SHOWROOM at www.hondaphil.com to know more about the All-New Honda BR-V. HCPI with its Dealers will also be having simultaneous mall displays nationwide. You can also see it up close from November 24 to 27 at SM Center Urdaneta, SM City Pampanga, SM City Naga, SM City Cebu, SM City Batangas, SM Ecoland in Davao and Robinsons Ilocos Norte, and from November 24 to 30 at the Alabang Town Center in Muntinlupa.

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The Huawei Watch GT 4 elegantly marries style and technology

10/05/2023

The roots of smartwatches have always been deep in health and fitness. And because of that, the market is saturated with more sporty-looking smartwatches save for a few — and that includes the Huawei Watch GT 4.

For this year, we get a total redesign of its body along with the expected upgraded trackers and monitors. The result is an elegant piece of tech that you wouldn’t expect to be so feature-filled.

For the ‘fit

One of the reasons why I’m often drawn to Huawei’s GT watches is its design. As just mentioned, smartwatches are often on the sporty side. And while I see the practicality of such a design, I personally don’t like that it looks more like a gadget than an accessory on my wrist (unless I’m actually doing sports, of course).

Watches are, in nature, accessories; used to jazz up an outfit or express a certain style or personality.

It’s in this aspect I believe the GT series watches identify themselves. Though originally sportier-looking, the watches’ designs have evolved to mimic the look of the classics – but with a twist of technology.

The Huawei Watch GT 4 is probably the classiest and most classic-looking so far. Whether you choose the 46mm or the 41mm, you’ve got a bit of arm candy that’s begging to be asked about.

With me is the 41mm which comes in a beautifully executed two-toned body. Compared to last year’s model which was already elegant in itself, the Watch GT 4 offers a new Pendant design.

Sitting side by side with the Watch GT 3, you can see how that new Pendant design not only slims the whole look of the watch down but adds an extra layer of elegance and class as well. The Watch GT 4 moves away from that sporty look by opting for metal over plastic and minimizing the body’s overall bulkiness.

But, as I said earlier, a sporty look can be more practical – especially if you’re active. Luckily, you can swap out the straps according to your needs. I’m currently using the white leather strap which looks great for classing up an outfit during events, dates, or nights out with friends.

But if you want to look a smidge fancier, you can cop yourself with the silver two-tone piano key bracelet. I wasn’t able to test it out in the real world but I did get to see the silver bracelet in person and it was gorgeous.

The silver bracelet strap is available for both the 43mm and the 41mm sizes and with it, the similarities to a classic watch are uncanny; a perfect example of modernizing a timeless piece.

And of course, there’s your regular rubber strap that you can use for the more active parts of your day.

Just a quick note though, while the 41mm does allow you to change between all three straps (rubber, leather, and steel) the 46mm can only change between the leather and rubber strap. If you want that silver bracelet, it is integrated into the body and can’t be removed.

Now living in this technology-driven world, we’re able to do a lot of new things that didn’t exist a couple of years back – like changing or customizing your watch face any time you want.

With the Huawei Watch GT 4 you’ll have access to hundreds of free and premium watch faces. More than enough to match all your ‘fits. Depending on the watch face, you can even customize the widgets you see on the screen.

But if you really do want something more unique and truly a match, the Watch GT 4 can generate different watch faces using your outfit. Utilizing the Health app and your smartphone’s camera, you can snap a photo of your outfit and the app will generate different watch face options you can use.

Definitely a fun little feature and a great way to show off and a great way to match your outfit for the day/night.

A delightful smartwatch experience

Having a smartwatch may not be a necessity but it’s become quite the norm for a lot of people, including myself.

I’ve found that including a smartwatch as my daily wearable helps improve the way I go about my tasks. The most obvious convenience is push notifications. Even if I’m away from my phone, I can keep updated with my work chats and updates. Should something be urgent, I can use the Watch GT 4 to call or respond to messages.

The Huawei Watch GT 4 allows you to import your phone’s contacts and call history as well so it’s easier to access and make calls to your most frequent contacts.

With the improved display, it’s much easier too. The body’s bezels are minimized giving breathing room to its 1.32-inch AMOLED display (1.43-inch for the 46MM). Brightness sits at 352ppi making it a tad bit brighter than its 46mm counterpart. Colors remain vibrant and you have the option to opt for a fun grid menu or the regular list.

And a smartwatch isn’t really a smartwatch if it doesn’t have a few health/fitness features onboard. And the Huawei Watch GT4 doesn’t have a few, it has a lot — a full suite even.

You still get round-the-clock monitoring for the essentials: heart rate, sleep, Sp02, and stress. But Huawei does add a few more features to track menstrual cycles, monitor skin temperature, and Pulse Wave arrhythmia analysis.

My experience with Huawei’s health trackers on last year’s Watch GT 3 has been very consistent and problem-free even after using it almost every day for more than a year. This year, Huawei improved its technology even further which only adds confidence to its dependability.

We also have a cornucopia of sports mode – more than you’ll ever need, in my opinion, but good to have should you ever look for anything super specific like Latin dancing or kite flying.

Through the app, you can also pick from different courses, plans, and pre-set workouts.

In addition to these, the Watch GT 4 also comes with a few apps to help you stick to your health goals. Activity Rings provide you with a simple and clear visual of how far or near you are from today’s target goals.

Huawei also brings back Health Clovers which we talked about in this video.

Finally, the Watch GT 4 debuts Stay Fit – a new scientific weight management app that aids in calorie management to help maintain or achieve your goal weight. By setting your current and target weight, the app can guide you with the proper calorie intake so you can healthily achieve your goal.

Now, the common limitation of smartwatches is that they operate best within their native ecosystem. But Huawei is very proud to say that the Huawei Watch GT 4 and all its features and functionalities will be available to all – iOS, Android, or HarmonyOS.

No low-battery anxiety

Whether it’s a phone, a smartwatch, a laptop, or any device — having a long battery life is always a luxury. More so with smartwatches because since it is a device you use daily, you wouldn’t want to charge daily as well, right?

Unsurprisingly, the Huawei Watch GT 4 comes with a long-lasting battery just like its predecessor. With round-the-clock tracking and the always-on display activated, I was still able to get a good full 7 days with the Huawei Watch GT 4. Huawei does claim a 2-week battery and I don’t see this as impossible if you have fewer features activated.

Final thoughts

My time with the Huawei Watch GT 4 hasn’t been long but in that short amount of time, I’ve come to really love the watch.

From how it looks to its functionalities, there is a lot that this watch offers, and is easy enough to introduce into any lifestyle or routine. I’ve yet to test some features like its GPS accuracy and new multi-tasking features but even without it, it’s a modern little timepiece that I’m tempted to pick up for myself.

The Huawei Watch GT 4 is now available in the Philippines with a starting price of PhP 12,999 for the 41mm and 46mm variant. The silver bracelet edition goes for PhP 18,999 for both variants. Price and pre-order details can be found here.

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