6 Things We Love About the New Honda Civic

On our recent trip to Sabah, we took the all-new Honda Civic for a spin around great trunk roads and found ourselves really loving the car. We drove it before in Thailand, so you can read our preview here and watch our short video of it here:

For now, we thought we’d go through some of the little things that make this new Civic so fantastic.

So, without further ado, here are 6 Things We Love About the New Honda Civic.

VTEC Turbo

Boy what an amazing engine this is. Direct Injection, Double Overhead Cams, Turbocharged with 16.5 psi of boost pressure. This engine redlines at 6500rpm, which isn’t classic VTEC, but it’s still true to the VTEC philosophy of squeezing exceptional power from smaller displacement engines. Back in 1997, the B16B powerplant produced 185hp and 160Nm of torque from a 1.6-litre, the L15B7 here extracts 174hp and 220Nm of torque from a 1.5-litre. And this isn’t even a Civic Type-R!

Extremely Competent Gearbox

Yes, we all know the CVT is dreaded by most people who are looking for an engaging drive, but Honda have pulled it off quite well. The CVT always finds the optimum torque output, so for Honda, the choice of a CVT makes perfect sense, and we’re glad they put in work to make it more engaging than most. A 7-speed mode is available through paddle shifters too.

Visually Delightful

It’s no secret that the new Civic is breathtaking. Plenty of people mistake it for a much more premium make than its selling price suggests. Besides the ‘expensive-looking’ elements that go into the design, the Civic also benefits from being wider and lower than before and even when compared to most of its rivals. This gives it a sportier profile and sets it apart from many other manufacturers still struggling to balance safety-related chassis requirements with outstanding design. It’s extremely futuristic on the inside, with some of the cleanest, most fluid animations in ANY car (not just in its price bracket).

Perfect Driving Position

It’s rare to find a practically-sized sedan with such a low seating position. With the previous Civic, we were beginning to think Honda was taking the nameplate in a more family-friendly direction. But here, the sportiness is starting to creep back in a little. It’s still plenty practical, but having a nice, sporty driving position really adds to the experience.

Ergonomics and Usability

There are loads of hidden gems in the Civic. From multiple sized cup holders to a cable management hole in the centre console, the interior feels very well thought out. Even the steering mounted volume control is a joy to use. You can either click it like you would a regular button, or glide your finger across its ridged surface. Each bump gives you feedback as to how much you’re changing the volume – a great design feature. Additionally, the boot is deeper by 10cm, taller by 4cm and overall has about 13% more luggage volume than before.

Exceptional Value

With an annual road tax rate of just RM90, exceptional fuel economy and quite a lot of car for RM130,000, the Honda Civic is actually one of the better value buys in its segment. Sure, it creeps dangerously close to some base models in the D-segment, but the high number of premium features in here makes it really worth the money.