Been there, sedan that? The Honda Civic RS Turbo CVT makes a stand vs. crossovers

The 10th-generation Honda Civic has to be one of the most resilient compact sedans in the Philippine market. With the market shifting toward affordable crossover SUVs and subcompact sedans and hatchbacks, the Civic has remained a consistent best-seller for Honda in the Philippines.

It may be because of the die-hard fans and their enduring love for the Civic, but you can’t really deny how well designed and built the Honda Civic especially, this 10th generation, really is. 

Exterior

For starters, this top-of-the-line RS model in this sick Rallye Red color truly stands out from the pack, even after since years since its introduction. The front end features a huge, piano black wing with the iconic Honda badge, flanked by full LED headlamps. The lower grill also gets piano black inserts with LED fog lamps. 

You also can’t mistake this for a lower trim because if you want piano black and that sweet RS badge, you’ll have to go for the top variant. The showstopper of the side profile has got to be those chunky 18x8 machined, two-tone alloy wheels with chunky 235 40Z R18 Michelin Pilot Sports shoes. These babies not only look amazing but really grab the road hard, like a gym rat and pizza on cheat days.

Chrome door handles and window trims add more contrast and act as reflectors but turn signals right on the front side of the fenders are a nice touch to the overall look.

When it was first introduced in 2016 this faux coupe styling was unique and blew all Honda fans' minds. Paired with sharp character lines on the door, I can’t blame you if you believe the sedan version of the Civic is even more appealing than the hatchback version, which we never received, except the Type R which is a completely different animal. To this day, five years later, you can’t help but wonder in amazement at the refined design language that the 10th-generation Honda Civic holds.

To be totally honest, the 10th-generation Honda Civic’s best feature has got the be the rear end. Implementing full LEDs on the tasteful spoiler and the the distinction on having really memorable crab-claw tail lamps and dual exhausts lets everyone on the road know that they’ve just been overtaken by a turbocharged Civic. A turbo Civic. What a time to be alive!

Interior

A neat trick under the Honda Civic’s sleeve is this remote trunk opener that once activated instantly gives you access to 519 liters of cargo space. Now the Civic wouldn’t be a real Honda if it didn’t have practicality in mind so for tall items. Just release these latches here and you get 60-40 split for even more space.

Being someone who owns an older Honda Civic, I was quite surprised at the level of refinement and craftsmanship the 10th generation offers. You get a digital speedometer in a rather sporty looking gauge cluster, adjustable sliding center armrest, fancy aluminum sports pedals, eight-way power adjustable driver seats, leather seats with sporty design accents, six speakers, dual-zone automatic climate control, and a seven-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with a volume knob.

The reason that I particularly focus on the volume knob is because when this car was first released in 2016, I was part of the crowd with pitchforks and torches right at Honda’s door demanding that the touchscreen sliders to be burned at the stake! They were finicky, unresponsive, and downright dangerous.

But it seems like Honda has listened to the fans and heralded the return of the volume knob. That’s a nice lesson to be learned: If you keep complaining, eventually, someone will listen.

Space in the back is quite adequate with commendable knee and head room but I lament the fact that it doesn’t have a flat floor, limiting foot room if you plan on bringing three passengers in the back.  You do get a nice tumbling center armrest for your drink, though, which proves that Honda isn’t just about the driver. The Man Maximum Machine Minimum Philosophy has its hands all over the design 

Back up front, you get some really smart design features that only Honda engineers have the forethought to implement. For example, if you’re looking for the ports to plug in your phone, they're actually down in front of the shifter column with neat cable anchors to keep everything nice and clean — no cables flopping around while you drive, and the center armrest slides forward and back to give the design a nice integration all in all. 

Safety

 The lack of Honda Sensing, the brand’s suite of safety active and passive driving assist and safety features, is quite glaring. You still get the standard, airbags (six of them, in fact), ABS with EBD, hill start assist, stability control, child lock, immobilizer, Isofix anchors, a reverse camera and, of course, three-point seatbelts for all passengers. But at this price point, I was hoping Honda Sensing would make an appearance.

Performance and fuel economy

The 10th-generation Honda is powered by a 1.5-liter DOHC EarthDreams Turbocharged engine that makes 170hp and 220Nm of torque. The turbocharger installed here is a small, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries TD025 single-scroll turbo charger. The beauty about having a small, single-scroll turbo in an engine with a displacement of 1.5 liters is that power delivery comes in much earlier in the power band. Considering that the Honda Civic’s natural habitat is urban city areas with heavy traffic, low to mid RPMs is the sweet spot for power and efficiency. But enough of the technical talk, let’s take this for a spin.

Driving off, you can definitely still feel a lot of the Honda rowdiness. Although the famous VTEC switchover is virtually non existent, power delivery from the power plant is strong and zero to 100kph can be had in just 6.7 seconds. Can your crossover SUV or small subcompact car do that?

Handling is just as important as power, and the Honda Civic has that in spades, thanks to the large contact patch tires. It’s still very comfortable inside the car with lower NVH. You have MacPherson struts up front and a multilink suspension in the rear but paired with those huge tires, I can definitely see this being used as a nice track car for the weekends. Steering is very much reminiscent of past Honda Civics — meaning it’s light but have enough weight to give you more confidence in spirited drives. 

The seven-speed CVT is wonderfully responsive to your throttle inputs that I barely felt the need to switch over to sport mode. It’s also nice to know how efficiently you’re driving by the way the center gauge panel glows — white for power, and green for eco. And even if you hit the Eco mode You still have so much power on tap that at times, I forget that I have the green eco mode activated. Driving around town and in heavy traffic is a breeze, thanks to the automatic brake hold function.

Fuel economy is probably the most surprising aspect of the Honda Civic RS. My experience of driving small-displacement turbocharged cars have always been a disappointment, but the Honda Civic subverts all my expectations by giving me about 7-8kpl in the city and 16kpl on the highway. Mind you, I haven’t been driving this with fuel economy in mind which makes me even more jealous of new car buyers. It’s no hybrid I’ll give you that, but considering the power, handling and tuning potential of the Honda Civic, that’s not bad at all.

Pricing and Conclusion

Pricing for the Honda Civic starts at P1.115 million for the entry-level S variant that comes with the old reliable 1.8-liter naturally aspirated engine. If you want DRLs, a nice touchscreen, push engine start and smart entry, power folding mirrors and nice graphics on the gauges, you'll have to spring an extra P73,000 for the midrange E variant.

The full fat version comes at an eye watering ₱1.615 million and that comes with the piano black accents 18-inch wheels, nice leather design interior, and, of course, that sweet 1.5-liter VTEC turbo engine

While the segment isn't as diverse and represented by many car brands these days, the Honda Civic still faces some tough competition. The Volkswagen Lamando and the Kia Forte GT Turbo come to mind in terms of premium packaging and performance,  while the Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid offers unparalleled fuel economy thanks to its hybrid engine. Other competitors include the overachieving MG 6, the unique and surprisingly affordable and capable Mazda 3, and the dark horse GAC GA4.

The Honda Civic holds one thing true: For the past five years it has become the beacon for those who refuse to accept that crossovers are taking over the market. The worst thing in life is accepting that you no longer can do the things that make you happy, Sedans are still as capable and even more so than they once were, and you still keep your own sense of individuality and sense of freedom. We are about to enter a new saga in the life of the Honda Civic, but it's nice to know that the 10th generation is still one of the most sought after and lusted over models of the badge. 

 

SPECIFICATIONS	Honda Civic RS Turbo CVT
Model Year	2021
Vehicle Classification	Compact Sedan
Warranty	3 years / 100,000 kilometers
Under the Hood
Engine Model	L15B7
Type	1.5-liter DOHC I4 with VTC, single scroll MHI-TD025 turbo
Power	171hp @ 5,500 RPM
Torque	220Nm @ 1,700-5,500 RPM
Fuel Capacity	47 Liters
Transmission	Earth Dreams CVT
Drive	Front-Wheel Drive
Tested Fuel Economy City	7-8 km/l
Tested Fuel Economy Highway	16 km/l
Chassis
Brakes	F - Ventilated Discs; R - Solid Discs
Front Suspension	F - Independent Macpherson; R- Independent Multi-link
Wheelbase	2,698 mm
Wheels	18-inch
Tires	235/40/ Z r18
Dimensions
Length	4,649 mm
Width	1,799 mm
Height	1,416 mm
Ground Clearance	133 mm
Kerb Weight	1,305 kg
Exterior
Headlamps	LED Projector
Foglamps	Yes; LED
Side Mirrors	Power-adjustable with Turn Signals
Daytime Running Lamps	Yes; LED
Body Kit	YES; RS Bodykit
Interior
Instrument Gauge Cluster	Full Color TFT
Infotainment System	7-inch HD Touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Adjustable Steering	Yes; Tilt and Reach
Passengers	5
Power Adjustable Seats	Yes; Driver Power 8-way
A/C System	Automatic; Dual-Zone
Steering Controls	Yes
Speakers	6
Interior Material	Leather
USB ports	Yes
Power Sockets	Yes; 12V
Safety
Airbags	Yes; 6 airbags
ABS with EBD and Brake Assist	Yes
Traction Control	Yes
Stability Control	Yes
Hill-Start Assist	Yes
Hill-Descent Control	Yes
Seatbelts	F - 3-point with pre-tensioner; R - Rear 3-point Seatbelts for 3 Occupants
Rear Defogger	Yes
Remote Start	No
Immobilizer	Yes
Forward Collision Warning	No
Autonomous Emergency Braking	No
Adaptive Cruise Control	Yes; with speed limiter
Automatic Headlamp Levelling	Yes
Lane Departure Warning	No
Rear Cross Traffic Alert	No
Parking Assist	No
PRICE	Click here for the latest prices

 

Photos by Roy Robles