As expected, Honda has launched a refreshed Civic in Thailand, bringing with it a number of very mild, blink-and-you’ll-miss-them changes. There’s one big new added feature for the range-topping e:HEV RS model, however, and that’s the S+ Shift function.
It’s lifted from the new Prelude coupé and enables simulated gearshifts, popularised by the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and now found in cars like the Porsche Taycan and even Honda’s own Super-One. The difference here is that unlike those EVs, there’s an actual combustion engine to provide the soundtrack.
Drivers can row through the eight “gears” with the steering wheel paddles despite the car still mostly driven by the electric motor and a single-speed transmission (as before, the petrol engine can clutch in to power the car at higher speeds). The system is a development of the Linear Shift Control already found on other e:HEV models, which varies the engine speed to match throttle inputs.
Beyond this new feature, there are no changes to the powertrain, which continues to centre around an electric motor producing 184 PS and 315 Nm of torque. This is juiced by a 2.0 litre direct-injected four-cylinder engine with 141 PS at 6,000 rpm and 182 Nm of torque at 4,500 rpm, and when clutched in it helps deliver a total system output of 203 PS.
The other tweaks are few and far between. There are no accompanying visual changes inside or out, and unlike the Japanese market, you still get a conventional mechanical gearlever rather than a push-button selector. The steering wheel is also unchanged, retaining the round steering wheel instead of adopting the Prelude’s new flat-bottomed unit – which also means no metal paddle shifters (sorry).
Specs-wise, the EL has been left well alone and continues to be priced at 949,000 baht (RM114,900), although the colour palette has dropped the Lunar Silver Metallic option, already eliminated from the Malaysian lineup.
Stepping up to the EL+ now gives you blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert, but as the bump on the passenger door mirror suggests, the LaneWatch camera is still fitted as standard across the range. Pricing has increased by 10,000 baht (RM1,200) to 1,109,000 baht (RM134,300).
The RS throws on the aforementioned S+ Shift function as well as new Urban Grey Pearl paint, while Ignite Red Metallic has been switched out for Blazing Red Pearl, which was also added to the Malaysian-spec CR-V this year. Those new features have brought with them a 20,000 baht (RM2,400) premium, bringing the price up to 1,259,000 baht (RM152,500).
The updated Civic should be launched in Malaysia later this year, as part of the six new or updated cars Honda Malaysia promised at the start of the year. As per the CR-V, expect a lower-priced e:HEV model to join the expensive RS, but the VTEC Turbo models will almost certainly remain due to their continued popularity.
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115, MITI cakap tak boleh! mimpi basah boleh la….
masuk malaysia RM170k thank you MITI
Got byd who still want this outdated sushi car
No need to bring it la Honda. Chinese cars are better specced at lower price