Following the regional debut of the refreshed 2023 Nissan Almera in Thailand a couple of months ago, the underrated B-segment sedan is recently launched in the Philippines. This comes mere days before the Filipino launch of the facelifted Honda City.

Nissan Philippines Inc. (NPI) is offering 3 variants of the Almera facelift in the archipelago which are:

• EL M/T – PHP 839,000 (~RM 71k)
• VE CVT – PHP 1,059,000 (~RM 89k)
• VL CVT with NissanConnect Services – PHP 1,149,000 (~RM 97k)

Gone is the elegant front end and in its place is a wider V-Motion grin grille that is similar to the North American Nissan Versa which extends into the lower bumper and accentuates the sharper headlights design.

Also read: New 2023 Nissan Almera's American twin, Versa gets a front makeover

The changes are only apparent on the front as the rest of the exterior design is retained from the pre-facelift N18 Almera. A new two-tone Moon Pearl Gray with Black roof colour is introduced in the Filipino-spec Almera though this hue is exclusive to the top-spec VL.

Also read: 2023 Nissan Almera facelift launched in Thailand - New front design and added ADAS features

Filipinos seeking an alternative to the Toyota Vios and Honda City will also get a more colourful interior. Blue accents are seen on the interior trim though only the VL comes with leather upholstery – the lower variants come with fabric seats.

Also read: Facelifted 2023 Honda City to make Philippines debut on 13-July, price up by 5% but Sensing now standard

In terms of powertrains, everything from the pre-facelift Almera is carried over in the update which in the Philippines meant a turbocharged 1.0-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine that makes 100 PS/152 Nm. In the archipelago, the new Almera is offered with a 5-speed manual transmission on the base EL and a CVT-type automatic for the VE and VL variants.

NissanConnect Services is offered on the top-of-the-line VL variant which allows owners to access vehicle features and emergency assistance through their smartphones including vehicle health reports, speed alerts, and automatic collision notifications.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity is offered on the CVT-equipped variants of the Filipino-spec Almera which is connected to an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen. The base variant on the other hand only comes with a standard Bluetooth audio head unit.

Also read: Pros and Cons: Nissan Almera – Much needed upgrade, but still room for improvement

In terms of safety features, the updated Almera comes with AEB and a 360-degree camera as standard on the two higher variants. However, blind-spot warning (BSW), lane departure warning (LDW), automatic high beam (AHB), and rear cross-traffic alert (RCTA) are only available on the top-of-the-range VL variant. All variants come standard with 6 airbags.

With the Almera given a refresh over in two of our neighbours, it might be time that this new look would be introduced in Malaysia. Prices for the locally assembled (CKD) Almera in Malaysia are as follows:

• Almera 1.0 Turbo VL – RM 83,888
• Almera 1.0 Turbo VLP – RM 89,888
• Almera 1.0 Turbo VLT – RM 95,888

Also read: Review: Same price as Vios G, we take a trip to Teluk Intan to see if the Nissan Almera is still competitive in 2023