The announcement ends the introductory prices of the City in January 2009, when the 3rd generation model was officially launched in the local market.

The entry of the 3rd generation City and 2nd generation Jazz in the market reinforced Honda’s claim on the passenger car segment. This year’s combined City and Jazz sales from January to August more than doubled as compared to the same period in 2008. Such favorable market acceptance enabled Honda to increase its total passenger car sales by 35%.

Bearing refined and class-leading features that were once reserved for luxury vehicles, the City neatly merges modernism with practicality for an ultimate driving pleasure. The launch of the 3rd generation City simply changes the rules on how subcompacts should be like.

The Honda Jazz also ups the ante for subcompacts. This multi-awarded model has been acclaimed for its remarkable use of space, thanks to its versatile ULTRA seats. Its innovative seat configurations can accommodate almost anything – be it tall, long or any utility items.

Just like any other Honda vehicle in the country, the City and the Jazz models are equipped with an advanced i-VTEC technology that makes the most out of every drop of fuel. By employing valve timing combination that pumps in fuel only as needed, the i-VTEC engine creates a perfect blend of remarkable fuel economy and optimum power output.

Apart from outstanding fuel efficiency, Honda vehicles are also engineered to pass the stringent European Emission Standards that regulate the amount of pollution that can be released into the atmosphere. Among local manufacturers, Honda is the only brand that has reached EURO 4 levels for all its model line-up.

So hurry! Rush over to any of the 26 Honda dealerships all over the country and make early reservations. For more details, you may contact any Honda dealership or log on to www.hondaphil.com.

Besting three other nominees, the 1.5 Honda Jazz was named the class winner in the subcompact sedan category. C! Magazine’s August issue remarked that, “Honda certainly took the Jazz to a whole new level especially with the 1.5 liter i-VTEC engine, the clever use of space, nifty features and sporty-inclined handling.”

In bringing sheer driving enjoyment to greater heights, the 1.5 Jazz comes with a race-inspired paddle shift that is also available in other bigger models like the Civic and the Accord. The paddle shift option enables manual shifting of gears without the clutch. The Honda Jazz also offers more than enough space to match active lifestyles. Offering versatility in seat configurations, the ULTRA seats can accommodate almost anything – be it long, tall or any utility items.

Meanwhile, the 3.5 liter Honda Accord was also acclaimed the best in the executive sedan category. As C! Magazine put it in its latest issue, “Its performance- be it forward or lateral motion- is perfectly suited for the executive that prefers to get behind the wheel.”

The V6 Honda Accord is powered by the i-VTEC (Intelligent Variable Valve Timing and Electronic Lift Control) engine that is equipped with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM). VCM is a new generation of fuel-efficient technology that closes down cylinders when not needed. Coined as the VCM 643, this technology provides seamless activation and deactivation of cylinders from 6 to either 4 or 3 to match one’s driving requirements.

The 5th Annual C! Awards aim to honor the country’s finest automobiles and the entire automotive industry as well. Each nominee was meticulously assessed based on power, space, comfort, handling, value for money and other features that make it distinct in its class.

The Jazz and the City elevate the 1.3 class to a new level. Regarded for so long as practical cars with basic features, 1.3s do not warrant the envious second-looks accorded to bigger cars. They are small and terrible to drive. But not the Jazz and the City. They prove that style and power can come in small packages. They are equipped with features that were once reserved for higher displacement models. And their styling can also make you stop on your tracks.

Packed with power and safety features, the Jazz and the City are more than just means of getting from A to B. Their new and responsive i-VTEC engines can deliver a respectable 100ps @ 6000 rpm and yet remain highly fuel-efficient. The Jazz’s aerodynamic shape and the City’s new arrowshot body design also contribute to their respective speed and fuel-efficiency. This just goes to show that you can be practical without necessarily sacrificing style and driving performance.

Another thing that separates the City and the Jazz from the rest of the entry-level cars are their attention to safety. For Honda, regardless of your car type, driving is more than just getting to your destination; it’s about getting there safely. This is why Honda packed the Jazz and the City with safety features you’d only expect on models with bigger displacement engines The Jazz and the City comes with dual SRS airbags (except 1.3 A City) to protect passengers during collision. Both cars have ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) and EBD with BA (Electronic Brake Distribution with Brake Assist) for better stability and easier handling especially when driving on slippery surfaces and during acceleration. And to top it all, the Jazz and the City are even equipped with immobilizers to protect them from car theft.

These small cars are also big when it comes to environment friendliness. With the Jazz’ and the City’s 5-speed automatic transmissions, they optimize fuel economy and produce cleaner emissions. In fact, both cars are Euro 4 compliant although the Philippines require only Euro 2 level.

Aside from defying the norm when it comes to features, the Jazz and the City also prove that size should not cramp style. The City’s new arrowshot design is a sight to behold as it speeds through the streets and the short, sporty rear keeps you looking towards its direction long after it is gone. But the best thing about the City’s styling is its ability to fit all that space into its seemingly small body. The City’s class-leading spaciousness allows passengers to have ample headroom and legroom regardless of where they sit. The City is also big enough for your cargo, thanks to its trunk space’s 506-liter capacity.

The Jazz’ aerodynamic design on the other hand is a salute to both form and function. Aside from contributing to the Jazz’ overall performance, its design also makes the Jazz both sporty and spacious. Look closely at the Jazz and you’ll notice that Honda carved out extra space wherever possible. Panels have concave sides to expand elbowroom and the revolutionary ULTRA seats give the Jazz superb flexibility. Just pull the operating lever and voila, the seats can be folded flat with a single forward pull. The lower cushion can also be folded up to make room for tall items. With the various seat configurations, the Jazz can carry objects that range from plants, to long boards and even to a mountain bike.

The Jazz’ and the City’s clever use of space, combined with their power and top-of-the-line features, will change the way you look at 1.3s. Yes, they maybe small, but their sporty looks score big in the styling department. And yes, they do have lower displacement engines, but they’re way up there when it comes to features, driving performance, and fuel-efficiency.

Visit your nearest Honda dealer now and test drive these mighty 1.3s. For more information about Honda and its products, log on to www.hondaphil.com.

Honda Philippines Media Release

Yahoo! Purple Hunt was a treasure hunt activity that entailed solving online clues and tracking down treasures located around Metro Manila.

The hunt ultimately led to a brand new Jazz that sports dynamic styling, spirited performance, versatile ULTRA seat configurations for all sorts of utility items and most importantly, remarkable fuel economy.

Armed with quick wits, proficient skills and a bit of luck, Mr. Galgana beat the other 2,000 successful online registrants who attended the finale event and wound his way through the Yahoo! maze at The Fort, Bonifacio Global City. Initially, this senior college student of New Era University just found simple delight in cracking the codes. But as he inched his way to the final eliminations, pure adrenaline and determination got him moving closer to the ultimate plum.

Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. partnered with Yahoo! Philippines in its social networking movement called Project Purple. Commencing last June, this movement aimed to ignite pinoy passions by promoting creativity, innovativeness and freedom of expression in a fun and refreshing way.

“The Honda Jazz shares the same ideals as Yahoo!. Perfectly fitting the intentions of the event, the Jazz exudes fun and vibrancy that enable expression and pursuit of one’s passion. The Jazz comes packed with features that suit today’s active lifestyles, making it the country’s only Fun Utility Vehicle (FUV).“ said Mr. Voltaire Gonzales, HCPI’s Vehicle Sales and Corporate Communications Department Head.

Honda Media Release

In doing so, Yahoo! introduced a treasure hunt activity with a purple twist.  Dubbed as the Yahoo! Purple Hunt, accessible via www.yahoo.com.ph, participants are tasked to solve online clues and find treasures located around Metro Manila.

The ultimate treasure at stake is a brand new Honda Jazz, designed with hip and exclusive purple artwork.

Sharing the same values as Yahoo!, the Honda Jazz exudes fun and vibrant demeanor that perfectly fits one’s active lifestyle in these modern times.  The Honda Jazz sports dynamic styling, spirited performance, versatile ULTRA seat configurations for all sorts of utility items and most importantly, remarkable fuel economy.  Without a doubt, the Jazz is one small car that is not ‘small’ in space, technology, performance, styling and ultimately, in FUN factor.   It comes loaded with features that enable expression and pursuit of one’s passion.

Yahoo! Purple Hunt runs until July 25, 2009.

Honda Cars Philippines Media Release

The Jazz is a premier example of Honda’s clever space planning by using central fuel tank layout to optimize cabin space and maintain ease of maneuverability. The 2nd generation Jazz is now wider and longer, offering even more options for the metropolitan on the go.

As a young professional with the signature spiky hairstyle or English faux-hawk, you can sit in comfort knowing the roof of the car won’t brush your painstakingly acquired ‘do. Every detail is accounted for in Honda’s design. It has loads of compartments to meet your ever demanding lifestyle needs – from extra pair of shades, cologne and even assorted hair products. The Jazz also has a total of ten cup holders for any drink you need at hand and a coin holder for spare change you hate to keep in your pocket.

With your hectic job requiring you to attend one appointment to another, Honda brings driving pleasure right at your fingertips with the help of its race-inspired paddle shift. This innovation enables manual shifting of gears without the clutch. It is located behind the wheel to make gear-shifting easily accessible and safe.

The relatively small 5.2 m turning radius of this car gives you a versatile drive. Navigation of those tiny parking lots and backstreets, where every building’s service entrance seems to be located, become one less thing for you to worry about. For those extra horrible work days when the supplier can’t deliver an unusually shaped load themselves, the variations of storage capacity and cargo adaptable options make this innovation of Honda a godsend. The ULTRA seats can transform from ride friendly to load friendly with just one easy pull. This clever concept of easily changeable seats that fold every which way keep the Jazz ready for anything that you need to be ready for. So that untimely delivery of much needed equipment to the proper destination can be done without the hassle of having to remove headrests or seating.

At the end of the day you can be assured that you are getting the best value for your money. The Jazz sports the i-VTEC engine with high fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions. The class leading 5-speed automatic transmission works with Drive-by-Wire acceleration control for more power while maintaining fuel economy. It has the solid drive and reliability associated with other Hondas but it has versatility unlike any other. With everything that Honda has painstakingly integrated into the design, this hatchback is the companion that is ready when you need to be.

For more details about the Jazz, log on to www.hondaphil.com or visit any dealer nearest you. Remember to Be Smart, Test drive!

Honda Philippines Media Release

Highlighting Honda’s display is the 2nd generation Jazz which carries more advanced and vibrant features that are perfect for the active lifestyle of today’s youth.  Available in 1.5 liter and 1.3 liter variants, the new Jazz 5-door hatchback delivers a maximum power output of 120 ps at 6600 rpm and 100 ps at 6000 rpm.  Thanks to its icon engine technology, i-VTEC, the Jazz realizes more spirited driving performance while maintaining its outstanding fuel economy.
The Honda Jazz maintains ample cabin space in order to live up to one’s active lifestyle.  With its innovative ULTRA seats, the Jazz can easily accommodate almost anything – be it long, tall or any utility items.

Fun and exciting games and prizes are in-store at the Honda display.  Spectators of the Diliman Motorshow get the opportunity to prove how versatile the new Jazz is.  Simply configure the seats and load up all the huge boxes of different sizes inside the Jazz.  The contestant with the fastest time wins.

Aside from the car show, the event also features a miniature car exhibit, RC drift competition, loudmatch (Sound Pressure League), and get-togethers for different car clubs.

Honda Philippines Media Release

The entry of the Jazz triggered the emergence of the hatchback market, foreseeing the demand for smaller and fuel efficient vehicles. From 4% in year 2004, the hatchback market ballooned to 17% of the car segment by the end of 2007. Today, the Jazz continues to make new records to fortify the presence of hatchbacks in the motoring industry.

Being in the market in less than two months, the new Jazz already registers cumulative sales of almost 600 units. The public’s warm reception on the Jazz helps boost Honda’s performance in the passenger car (PC) segment by 9% with 1,123 PC units sold in October (as compared with 1,027 passenger car unit sales in September). This puts Honda in a stronger position with 29% market share.

The all-new Jazz officially commenced sales in September, a month after its debut in the local market. Touted as the country’s Fun Utility Vehicle or F.U.V., the new Jazz presents dynamic and refreshing features that surely bring pure fun and excitement in one’s driving experience. On its first month, a total of 203 unit sales were initially posted as customers eagerly awaited the release of the Jazz. This is even higher than the initial 145 unit sales of the first generation Jazz back in 2004. Attesting the Jazz craze in the market, record shows that a total of 162 units were remarkably released in just one day. Ordinarily, releases only average to 15 units per day.

A recipient of the prestigious 2008 Japan Car of the Year Award, the All-New Honda Jazz has been widely acclaimed for its dynamic styling, spacious interiors, versatile utility and remarkable fuel economy. Now powered with the renowned i-VTEC engine, the Honda Jazz realizes more spirited driving while maintaining its outstanding fuel economy to deliver more fun-filled driving to every liter of gasoline.

The All-New Jazz is readily available at any Honda dealership near you. Schedule a testdrive and get first-hand experience of its advanced and innovative features. Discover what the craze is all about. For more details, check out www.hondaphil.com.

The availability of the second generation Jazz in the market demonstrates how a small car can amazingly encompass considerable amount of space, spirited yet fuel efficient driving performance and muscular dynamic styling that perfectly meet the demands of modern lifestyle. Just-recent owners of the new Jazz could not agree more as they share a remarkable sense of joy out of the Jazz’ ingenious harmony of form and function.

In an answer to the market’s growing concern on fuel prices, the new Jazz still bear fuel efficient qualities but now matched with even more optimized power output with the i-VTEC engine. It also maintains the same versatility with the ULTRA seats that enable loading of almost anything– be it long, tall or any utility items.

Truly, the All-New Jazz is an economical and fun-filled passenger car in the market today. It is now available at a special introductory price, starting at Php 707,000. Check it out and visit any Honda dealership near you. Be sure to schedule a testdrive and experience first-hand the sprightly demeanor of the All-New Jazz. For more information, you may visit www.hondaphil.com.

Honda Media Release

Catch the Philippine premiere of the award-winning and best-selling Honda Jazz during the 2nd Philippine International Motor Show on August 21-24 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila. Fun and exciting games plus loads of giveaways await customers.

Honda’s second generation Honda Fit, known as the Jazz in the Philippines, has won the prestigious 2007-008 Japan Car of the Year Award (JCOTY). The All-New Honda Fit has lived on with the tradition as its predecessor grabbed the same title of JCOTY in 2001-2002.JCOTY is an annual award given to newly released or redesigned vehicles available at the Japanese market. The award has been around since 1980. Jurors are primarily composed of Japanese automotive journalists. The Honda Fit has bested over nine other models. Among JCOTY’s 60-member panelists, the Honda Fit has generated a total of 374 points, 75 points ahead of its nearest competition.

The keys behind Honda Fit’s triumph are good design and space, matched with strong driving and environment-friendly performance. Since year 2000, Honda has won five of the last eight annual awards with the addition of Honda Fit’s victory.

The new second generation Fit has not only gained prestigious recognition but also overwhelming sales reception since its debut last October 2007. In fact, the Honda Fit is Japan’s best selling passenger car for nine straight months. From January to July of the current year, the Honda Fit has reached a total of 16,293 units. Demand for the new Fit and another new minivan model, the Freed, has helped Honda boost domestic sales by 29% in July (excluding mini cars).

Visit www.hondajazzfuv.com to get more loads of fun with the Honda Jazz.

Honda Philippines Media Release