Honda Civic E – If the 2023 Honda Civic has come up in your conversation lately, we’re betting it’s the new Type-R hot hatch set to hit showrooms later this year and whether you’ll buy one over Toyota’s GR Corolla.
But in the wider world, a more important, relevant and affordable Civic is attracting buyers’ attention. The Civic E:HEV isn’t the first hybrid Civic — Honda launched its first electrified Civic 20 years ago — but the previous, 10th-generation, Civic line didn’t have a hybrid version.
Honda Civic E
Now the hybrid is back, but in a very different kind of drive, and not just a range addition. In the UK, where I drove it, the E:HEV hatchback was the only model until the Type-R arrived. Even in North America where the 1.5 Turbo, hotter 1.5 Turbo Si and 2.0 Atmo powertrains arrive next year, a hybrid would be a big deal for Honda, especially now that the Insight Hybrid is dead.
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But is this just another boring hybrid that only mpg-crazy people want to drive? And how about its strange range-extender drive? We jump behind the wheel to find out.
The first thing that strikes you about the 11th-generation Civic, which has nothing to do with the hybrid setup, is how low-key it looks. It’s not just that we’re all used to small family cars like crossovers these days. It’s really low, measuring just 55.5-inches (1.41 meters) from the roof skin to the road, and with the fastback rear, it gives off a sporty look that carries over as you sink into the lovely low seats. It’s a relief to see Honda ditch the old car’s hideous fake vents (and, to my eyes, generally awful styling) for something more upscale, but those exterior changes pale in comparison to the interior transformation.
The old car’s dashboard design and material mix was very poor and it gave the Dacia a premium look. But both the look and feel are clearly benchmarked against new cars from Audi and BMW. The digital instrument screen doesn’t completely fill the binnacle, even in high-spec cars, reducing the effect a bit, but those directional air vent toggles have a pretty solid action. While the 9-inch touchscreen is more responsive and nicer to use than the older car, I’m a big fan of Honda’s decision to fit it with a volume knob alongside the traditional rotary heater controls (like the Audi A4). It is a really great interior, and a useful space as well.
But the cool interior looks not cool at all. It’s a brilliant retractable weight cover that pulls the car right from the left C-pillar instead of pulling it towards you, meaning you don’t have a huge bar to remove (and then store or accidentally move into a parking spot) seats and luggage space. Need to expand. Cargo space is already bigger than rivals such as the Golf and Toyota Corolla, but both cars offer rear headroom and easy access to the rear seats, as you don’t have to bend down when climbing.
Honda Civic E:hev Rs Launched At Rm166,500
But that’s enough scene-setting, let’s move on to the e:HEV technology, because it’s going to be a very important one for Honda. A similar, but smaller, setup is already offered in the UK Jazz and HR-V, which share the CR-V Civic’s powertrain, while more powerful versions of the CR-V and Accord are headed to North America.
The basic components, a four-cylinder petrol engine and electric booster, both front-wheel drive, sound completely conventional, but the difference is in the details. The combustion motor is not a small turbo, but a relatively large 2.0-liter, naturally aspirated, Atkinson-cycle engine that produces 141 hp (143 PS) and 137 lb-ft (186 Nm). Honda says that only charging the small 1 kWh battery powers the two electric motors that produce 181 hp (184 PS / 135 kW), but the engine can drive the wheels directly. Don’t bother looking for a charging pad: there isn’t one. Honda thinks this hybrid model will give PHEV drivers more convenience than having to remember to plug into the grid.
If you expect the Civic to be able to drive like an EV with the engine when the battery dies, you’ll be disappointed. In practice, the ICE motor takes the back seat and lets you worry about electric power in traffic, chiming regularly to charge the battery even when the battery is half full and, according to the power display on the touchscreen during our test, to drive the wheels.
When it’s running as a generator, it’s clearly audible, as it seems to idle at 800 rpm, much higher than a conventional gas car. The constant sound may sound strange because it doesn’t match your speed. But other times the e:HEV does its best to convince you that you’re driving a conventional gas-powered autonomous vehicle.
The New Honda Civic
That makes the e:HEV a lot more fun to drive than a CVT-equipped hybrid (Honda calls it an “eCVT,” but it’s not really), but it’s not nearly as exciting. Stepping hard on the throttle and shifting into a first gear or two seems convincing. But then if the next two clicks are too fast, it makes the gear ratios of an F1 car look bad, spoiling the illusion a bit.
All in all, it’s a good effort and means e:HEV is a lot more fun than I expected. It’s reasonably quick, with the hybrid system’s total power output of 181 hp (184 PS) and 232 lb-ft (315 Nm) taking it to 62 mph in 7.8 seconds in the light configuration, albeit 2 seconds slower. A must-have Type-R, it’s a hybrid that can be fun in a hurry.
And it’s not just for the powertrain, it offers a brilliant widescreen view of the road with tight body control, strong front-end grip, meaty, quick-ratio steering and slim A-pillar coilovers that look almost 1980s. We haven’t driven the new Type-R yet, but even this non-sporty hybrid is so much fun that we’re dying to get behind the wheel this summer.
On the downside, the Civic isn’t the quietest cruiser, which I’m sure has been a constant complaint about every Honda review I’ve written over the past 20-odd years. The trade-off for that impressive B-road ability is a level of ride comfort on our car’s 18-inch wheels, which I don’t mind, but more comfort-minded buyers might not.
Inno64 1/64 Honda Civic Si E At Red Silver Diecast Scale Model Car
What about the economy, an increasingly important factor that now the real economy has decided to go down the toilet and gas prices are still high? I averaged between 45-51 mpg Imperial (38-42 U.S.) in mixed driving conditions, which included some fast country road sections and motorcycle work as well as some urban crawling, which isn’t bad. A PHEV will improve those numbers if most of your driving involves short trips, but it will cost you more to buy and add weight, which can make handling worse.
UK-spec Civics are available in three grades: Elegance, Sport and Advance, the base car costs £29,595 and our Advance £32,995, but 0-62mph takes 0.3 seconds. The added weight comes from kit such as electric seats, a panoramic roof and Bose HiFi. For that reason I’d be tempted to stick with the base car, which loses the fancy digital gauge cluster but covers most of the other bases, including adaptive cruise. Parking sensors, keyless entry, heated seats and Apple CarPlay.
Verdict: The Civic’s transformation from Honda Passe to almost premium is impressive, and so is the E:HEV’s unusual hybrid drivetrain. If you want a good-looking, well-equipped hatch that’s fun to drive and doesn’t guzzle fuel, check this out first. Selangor, 15 November 2022 – Malaysia (or the company) today announced the Civic e:HEV RS, an addition to the Civic lineup powered by the new 2.0L e:HEV powertrain – a first for Civic and Malaysia. Successful completion of 11
The generation Civic E:HEV joins an extensive line-up of models that includes the Civic E:HEV RS, CT, CT Hatchback and the all-new HR-V.
Review: Honda Civic E:hev Rs In Malaysia
“We welcomed 11 people earlier this year,” said Hironobu Yoshimura, managing director and CEO of Malaysia.
Citizen generation for the Malaysian market. With nearly 7,000 units sold so far, the model has received excellent response from Malaysians and is poised to take the No. 1 position in its segment with an 81% market share by September 2022. Thanks to our customers and especially Civic fans for this
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