Honda launches all-new City and Brio in PH, priced

Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) unveiled the highly anticipated New City and New Brio models today at the Mega Fashion Hall in SM Megamall. The event gathered members of the media, bank and insurance representatives, dealers, and Honda car clubs.

The New City, one of Honda’s best-selling models in the country, received a refreshed look and introduced additional color options and a new variant to appeal to a wider audience. The updated model boasts elevated safety features, advanced technologies, an elegant and sporty exterior, premium interior, and a powerful and fuel-efficient driving performance.

All variants now come standard with Honda SENSING, Honda’s advanced driver-assist safety technology.

The exterior enhancements of the New City include a newly crafted RS design front grille with RS Emblem, new Front and Rear Bumpers with carbon-wrapped lower molding, and LED Daytime Running Lights and Fog Lights. The model also features sharp horizontal character lines, Power Adjustable Door Mirrors, newly designed sporty alloy wheels, and a redesigned rear bumper with a sporty carbon-wrapped diffuser.

Inside the New City, drivers and passengers can enjoy a spacious and comfortable cabin. The windshield shape has been updated to improve visibility and minimize blind spots. The RS variant now offers full leather seats with a new design, while other variants feature fabric seats with premium accents. The interior also includes updated instrument clusters, an advanced touchscreen display audio system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and improved driving convenience features.

The New City is powered by a 1.5L DOHC i-VTEC engine paired with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). It delivers high fuel efficiency and impressive performance, with a maximum output of 121 PS and 145 Nm of torque. The model achieved exceptional fuel economy ratings of 22.2 kilometers per liter during highway driving conditions.

To ensure safety, all variants of the New City come equipped with Honda SENSING, which includes advanced driver-assist features such as Collision Mitigation Braking System, Lane Keeping Assist System, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Auto-High Beam. The New City also received a 5-star rating in the latest ASEAN NCAP testing, reaffirming Honda’s commitment to safety.

Customers can personalize their New City with Honda Genuine Accessories, including accent garnishes, fog lights, trunk tray, and more. The New City is available in four variants: 1.5 E CVT Honda SENSING, 1.5 S CVT Honda SENSING, 1.5 V CVT Honda SENSING, and 1.5 RS CVT Honda SENSING. Prices range from PhP 973,000 to PhP 1,128,000, with various color options available.

Alongside the New City, HCPI also introduced the New Brio, which has garnered a loyal following since its introduction in 2014. The second-generation Brio offers enhancements in design, performance, and comfort. It features a stylish exterior with a newly designed front grille, LED headlights and fog lights, and updated alloy wheels. The interior includes black fabric seats with red accents, improved in-car entertainment, and convenient features such as Speed Sensing Auto Door Locks and Power Windows with Auto Up/Down for the driver.

The New Brio is powered by a 1.2 Liter 4-cylinder SOHC i-VTEC engine, delivering a maximum power of 90 PS and 119 Nm of torque. It is available with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) or a 5-speed Manual Transmission option in the 1.2 S MT variant.

Safety features of the New Brio include Honda’s G-CON technology for enhanced impact absorption, Drive and Front Passenger Airbags, ABS with Electronic Brake-Force Distribution, and Rear Parking Sensors.

The New Brio comes in four variants: 1.2 S MT, 1.2 V CVT, 1.2 RS CVT, and 1.2 RS Black Top CVT. Prices range from PhP 735,000 to PhP 863,000, with a selection of vibrant color options.

HCPI’s President, Rie Miyake, expressed excitement about serving more customers with the New Honda City and New Honda Brio. She emphasized Honda’s dedication to providing joy and confidence to customers through advanced safety features, innovative technologies, and exceptional value.

The New City and New Brio models can be viewed up close at the SM Megamall Fashion Hall from July 13 to 16, 2023. Test drives are also available at Honda Cars dealerships nationwide during the Matsuri (Festival) event on July 13, 2023.

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Harman Kardon Esquire Mini 2 review: A chic and personal Bluetooth speaker

06/07/2021

If there’s one thing I love about Harman Kardon, it would have to be its designs. The company has long been merging tech and aesthetics to produce beautifully designed products with premium sound.

The Esquire Mini 2 is no exception. While not radically different from its predecessor, it boasts of useful upgrades and features to help easily integrate itself into almost any lifestyle. Apart from being your usual Bluetooth speaker, the Esquire Mini 2 also functions as a speakerphone and a power bank. With these added features, does the Harmon Kardon Esquire Mini 2 do well as an all-around device?

Design

There’s no denying that the Esquire Mini 2 is quite a looker. It flashes a pretty polished metal grill design upfront and a faux leather finish on the back.  There’s also a nifty kickstand to prop up the speaker which makes it look oh-so-elegant.

We have the device in a classic silver color but there’s also a black version for a more subtle look. If you fancy a bit more color in your life, it also comes in blue, copper, and pink.

All of the device’s buttons can be found on the top and include the power, Bluetooth, and call buttons. Just opposite it is the volume rocker. Buttons are tactile, easy to press and feel just as durable as the rest of this device. There’s also a 3.5mm jack for accessories and on the side are 5 small LED lights that indicate battery level.

The size of the Esquire Mini 2 is one of my favorite things about it. It’s as big as today’s smartphones and about an inch thick. Weighing just a quarter kilogram, it’s extremely portable and easy to stash in just about any bag and maybe even some pockets. Additionally, a plain faux leather case is included for protection.

Performance

Let’s just get this out of the way, the Harmon Kardon Esquire Mini 2 is not going to be your party speaker. It’s going to be the speaker you have set up on your desk or home office, or the speaker you use when you’re binge-watching on your laptop or phone.  In a word, personal.

Thinking of it this way made me appreciate the device even more. And since it also does more than the usual speaker, the Esquire Mini 2 was able to integrate itself nicely into my work environment as well.

But before we get into that, let’s talk about sound quality. For a speaker its size, it’s produces a relatively balanced sound given it’s at a moderate volume. It does lack bass but not so much that it’s unenjoyable. Call quality is clear but unlike music, vocals had heavier lows.

When you max out the volume, sound quality takes a rather noticeable dip. The bass struggles the most and gets drowned out by the mids. The sound blows out the speakers and produces less than desirable output. You can easily remedy this, though, by not maxing out the volume of the speaker and increasing the volume of the connected device instead.

Now back to how I used it on a daily basis. I propped the speaker on my desk, just next to my computer, and would mostly play music while I was working. The sound quality and volume were just right to pleasantly fill up my work area.

What’s great is when I’d receive a call, I could use the Esquire Mini 2’s conferencing system that basically turns it into a speakerphone. At a press of a button, I can go hands-free and continue what I’m doing since I didn’t need to literally pick up the phone. And if I ever wanted to go wired, there’s a 3.5mm jack ready and waiting.

This feature is also really useful during my meetings and video calls since I could hear everything much clearer. The dual microphones also seemed to pick up my voice pretty well provided I wasn’t too far from it. Noise cancellation isn’t too great, though, so it’s still best to be in a pretty quiet room if you don’t want other sounds to be heard.

Overall, I’m pretty pleased with the sound quality of the Esquire Mini 2 as a personal speaker. I imagine it will work even better in a more enclosed environment like a small home office or working space but it’s proven to be a reliable speaker in most situations so far.

Battery

As mentioned earlier, the Esquire Mini 2 is also a power bank. I wouldn’t recommend solely relying on this, though, since capacity is only at 2200mAh. With today’s smartphones, that won’t be enough for a full charge. It’s best to think of this as a primary feature but as a neat add-on to the device.

If you’re not sharing battery power, you can get about 8-10 hours of use on a single charge. It took about 4 hours to charge the device to full. Personally, that’s enough for me since it lasts long enough to match my working hours.

Creature Feature

In our reviews, The Modern Creatures aims to find special features in a device that make it stand out — something that gives it an edge over its competitors. Its Creature Feature. And for the Harman Kardon Esquire Mini 2, it would have to be its ultra-chic and portable design.

In true Harman Kardon fashion, the Esquire Mini 2 not only prides itself in quality sound output but also a stand-out and elegant design. Combining that with its premium build and materials, you’re getting a multi-function portable speaker that can easily find a home on your desk.

Final Thoughts

The Harman Kardon Esquire Mini 2 is something I could easily see myself pick out in a store. It’s beautifully designed, produces quality sound for its size, and can function as a speakerphone and as a backup power source.

Priced at US$ 130 (PhP 8,499 in the Philippines), the Harmon Kardon Esquire Mini 2 is a great fit for those who value aesthetics just as much as performance. It’s available for purchase on the company’s official online store, Lazada PH, or Amazon US.

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