The 1.5-litre turbocharged sedan also grabbed the Best Mid-Size Car award for its advanced styling, features package, sharp handling, comfortable ride and accessible (on-the-road) pricing of RM135,800.
When the 10th generation Civic was launched in early June, Honda Malaysia became the first Japanese mass market automaker to introduce a turbo engine in the C-segment.
There are two powerful 1.5-litre turbocharged Civic variants which produce 173PS at 5,500rpm and 220Nm of torque from 1,700 to 5,500rpm and a naturally aspirated 1.8-litre i-VTEC variant that churns out 141ps at 6,500rpm and 174Nm of torque at 4,300rpm.
The new 1.5-litre VTEC turbocharged engine was developed under Honda’s Earth Dreams Technology, and the car comes with a smart monitoring system which indicates the timing of oil changes and notify owners via an indication lamp on the speedometer about their service status.
Both engines are mated to a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) for a smooth driving experience and better fuel efficiency.
The lower priced turbocharged Civic 1.5 TC variant is tagged at RM127,800 while the the 1.8-litre 1.8S unit is tagged at RM113,800.
Buyers get a 5-year warranty with unlimited mileage, with a service interval of 10,000km.
In developing the new Civic, Honda engineers had benchmarked the Civic not only against the C-segment vehicles but also European premium compact vehicles.
Honda had aimed at coming up with a Civic that is a game-changer in the C-segment in terms of design, dynamic performance, fuel-efficiency, spaciousness, interior quality and safety features – all at attractive prices.
With Honda’s vehicle packaging expertise and Civic’s longer wheelbase and wider body, the new Civic is able to deliver a best-in-class package.
High quality and soft padding finishing are applied generously in keeping with the premium positioning of the new Civic.
To achieve cabin quietness and further enhance ride quality, its interior package is fitted with a light-weight sound proofing system.
This includes underbody covering and high noise isolation door system.
Premium features include a 7-inch Advanced Display Audio system, remote engine start, walk-away auto lock, electric parking brake and auto brake hold.
All variants of the new Civic have top class safety features including six airbags (dual front, side curtain, and side airbags), vehicle stability assist (VSA), anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic brake distribution (EBD), brake assist (BA), hill start assist (HSA), emergency stop signal (ESS) and ISOFIX points for child seats.
The new Civic is available in five colours, Dark Ruby Red Pearl, Modern Steel Metallic, Crystal Black Pearl, and two new colours, Lunar Silver Metallic and White Orchid Pearl.
