SINCE Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI) first introduced the Civic in the Philippines in 1991, it started a cult following of Honda users, many of whom are still loyal to the brand after all these years.<\/p>\r\r\r<\/figcaption>\r<\/figure>\r\r
The EG, the first-ever model Honda sold locally, was actually the fifth-generation Civic. In its heyday in the late 1990s, the demand for Civics was such that sales associates couldn't process purchases fast enough to cope with the number of orders. In its 32-year presence in the country, save for a few models, Honda has consistently come out with strong versions of its popular nameplate.<\/p>\r\r
Despite being just a minor model change, the current (new) Civic is arguably the strongest iteration yet, in terms of design, tuning, technology, and safety. And at the 9th Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS), the Civic RS e:HEV E-CVT variant officially joined the Civic's previously all-turbo lineup and became the second hybrid offering of the Japanese brand available locally, following the equally notable CR-V e:HEV.<\/p>\r\r\r<\/figcaption>\r<\/figure>\r\r
Honda has successfully redefined the Civic's sporty DNA through the electrification of its iconic nameplate. While others would describe the 11th-gen Civic as more mature-looking, I like to say that it has evolved over time and has regained its stature. Its elongated hood and sloping roofline give it a premium appearance without losing its sportiness. As someone who isn't a fan of modifications, I think it already looks appealing as is.<\/p>\r\r
Inside the cabin is mostly dark (black), with touches of chrome and reds found in the stitching and around the honeycomb grill that runs through the entire dash. Finding the perfect driving position is simple with the 8-way power adjustment, as well as tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment. The digital gauges are simple to read and understand, and the layout is familiar.<\/p>\r\r\r<\/figcaption>\r<\/figure>\r\r
Aside from the hybrid powertrain, other new features include a wider camera, the addition of parking sensors, and the inclusion of more features for the Honda Connect suite. It also holds the distinction of being the first Honda vehicle to incorporate Google Assist into its 9-inch audio display, a feature now available in all trims. With this feature, users can now use voice commands for navigation and car operations, as well as install a wide variety of third-party apps. In addition to the usual amenities like keyless entry, rain-sensing wipers, wireless smartphone charging, and the like, it is the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as the Bose 12-piece speaker system, that we tend to appreciate the most.<\/p>\r\r\r<\/figcaption>\r<\/figure>\r\r
The seats of the Civic are comfortable, and our group of four had more than enough head and leg room. We made full use of the Civic's 493-liter trunk space, accommodating four pieces of carry-on luggage, numerous bags of food, and various other items among us.<\/p>\r\r
For this trip, we drove from BGC in Taguig to Baguio City via Asin Road. For those unfamiliar with Asin Road, it's a less popular route compared to Kennon Road and Marcos Highway due to its longer, more circuitous, and more twisty nature. A perfect testing ground for spirited drives. As expected, the Civic was well-planted and hugged the corners as we made it up the mountain. Honda wasn't kidding when they said the hybrid Civic \"drives like a dream.\"<\/p>\r\r\r<\/figcaption>\r<\/figure>\r\r
Those expecting the Civic e:HEV to be less sporty or less fun than its normally aspirated brothers should get behind the wheel of one. If anything, the only noticeable difference is the lack of the familiar engine growl, as the Civic e:HEV consistently delivers exceptional power. Thanks to its Honda e:HEV full hybrid system, the Civic is not just enjoyable to drive but also more efficient. Comparing the notes with our colleagues, we found that the identically specced units covered between 18 to 20 kilometers per liter while traversing a combination of city, highway and provincial roads leading up the mountain.<\/p>\r\r
A 2.0 e:HEV Full Hybrid engine powers the Civic RS e:HEVE-CVT, producing 141PS at 6,000 rpm (petrol engine) and 184 PS at 5,000-6,000 rpm (electric motor), with a maximum torque of 182 Newton-meter (Nm) at 4,500 rpm and 315 Nm at 0-2,000 rpm (electric motor). An eCVT (electric continuously variable transmission) pairs with the powertrain, as its name suggests.<\/p>\r\r\r<\/figcaption>\r<\/figure>\r\r
The Civic's Sensing suite is another of its strong points. I've always said that Sensing is one of the smoothest and most unobtrusive safety systems on the market today, and the features available on the Civic are top-notch. Features include adaptive cruise control. low speed follow, collision mitigation braking system, lane keeping assist system, road departure mitigation, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, auto high beam, and lead car departure notification.<\/p>\r\r\r<\/figcaption>\r<\/figure>\r\r
Admittedly, at P1.99 million, the Civic RS e:HEV comes at a steep price. However, if you're in the market for a daily driver that is fun, sporty, fast and efficient, and you're wondering if it's worth your hard-earned cash, let me tell you: go take one for a test drive and you'll be forking over your money in no time.<\/p>\r\r\r<\/figcaption>\r<\/figure>\r\r
The new Honda Civic is available in five exterior colors: Canyon River Blue Metallic (e:HEV exclusive); Crystal Black Pearl (all variants); Platinum White Pearl (all variants); Meteoroid Gray Metallic (RS CVT and V CVT only); Ignite Red Metallic (RS variants only), with prices starting at P1.600.000.<\/p>","article_custom_fields":"{\"\":[\"\"],\"seo_meta_keywords\":[\"\"],\"seo_meta_description\":[\"\"],\"seo_meta_title\":[\"\"],\"sponsored_flag\":[\"\"],\"offer_flag\":[\"off\"],\"featured_article_flag\":[\"\"],\"drupal_json\":[\"{\\\"type\\\":null,\\\"properties\\\":{\\\"PUBLISHED\\\":0,\\\"PROMOTED\\\":0,\\\"STICKY\\\":0},\\\"fields\\\":[]}\"],\"wp_custom_json\":[\"{\\\"type\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"fields\\\":[]}\"],\"article_tags\":[\"\"],\"show_image\":[\"off\"],\"Disable_Ad\":[\"off\"],\"disable_player\":[\"off\"],\"column\":[\"\"],\"kicker\":[\"\"],\"edel\":[\"\"],\"delu\":[\"\"],\"delt\":[\"Read this in The Manila Times digital edition.\"],\"premium\":[\"off\"],\"Redirect_URL\":[\"\"],\"Registration_required\":[\"off\"],\"background_image\":[\"off\"],\"user_needs\":[\"\"],\"page_number\":\"0\",\"initial_publication\":\"\",\"date_created\":\"2024-12-09 21:42:48\",\"date_modified\":\"2024-12-09 21:51:56\",\"last_modified_user\":\"Sherwin Arnaiz\",\"section_color\":\"#F50404\",\"target_page\":\"0\",\"cxense_metatags\":null}","cms_type":"live","author_id":2882,"section_id":1,"seo_meta_keywords":"Honda,Civic,RS,e:HEV","seo_meta_description":"","seo_meta_title":"Honda Civic RS e:HEV","publish_time":"2024-12-10 00:04:00","related_articles_ids":"","article_tags":"","sub_section_id":0,"visit_count":10,"sponsored_flag":0,"offer_flag":0,"featured_article_flag":0,"media_gallery_flag":0,"video_gallery_flag":0,"highlight_flag":0,"top_story_flag":0,"is_updated":0,"is_old_article":0,"old_article_id":0,"article_byline":"Mika Fernandez-David","ts":"2024-12-11 12:14:55","last_edited":"2024-12-09 21:51:56","alt_publish_time":"2024-12-09 21:51:59","image_path":"{\\\"image_path\\\":\\\"manilatimes\\\\\/uploads\\\\\/images\\\\\/2024\\\\\/12\\\\\/09\\\\\/487296.jpg\\\",\\\"cms_type\\\":\\\"live\\\",\\\"small_image\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"is_updated\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"image_cropping\\\":\\\"{\\\\\\\"original_image\\\\\\\":{\\\\\\\"image_original_width\\\\\\\":1320,\\\\\\\"image_original_height\\\\\\\":990,\\\\\\\"icd_image_type\\\\\\\":\\\\\\\"original_image\\\\\\\"},\\\\\\\"main_image\\\\\\\":{\\\\\\\"image_main_width\\\\\\\":1200,\\\\\\\"image_main_height\\\\\\\":900,\\\\\\\"icd_image_type\\\\\\\":\\\\\\\"main_image\\\\\\\"}}\\\",\\\"is_copied\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"media_type\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"image_caption\\\":\\\"The convoy passing through the Marcos Highway tunnel. PHOTOS BY MIKA FERNANDEZ-DAVID\\\",\\\"image_alt_text\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"image_count\\\":7}","author_name":"Mika Fernandez-David","section_name":"Fast Times","sub_section_name":"","slide_show":0,"breaking_news":0,"visit_count_update_date":"2024-12-11 12:14:55","old_cms_article_id":null,"permalink":"2024\/12\/10\/fast-times\/honda-civic-rs-ehev\/2018573","show_image_in_thumb":0,"api_status":2,"a_custom_data":"{\"exclude_from_gallery\":null,\"lead_image_id\":null}","publication_id":2,"max_publish_time":"2024-12-10 00:04:00","page_number":"0","homepage_article_flag":0,"article_shortlink":null,"cropped_image":0};
SINCE Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI) first introduced the Civic in the Philippines in 1991, it started a cult following of Honda users, many of whom are still loyal to the brand after all these years.
The EG, the first-ever model Honda sold locally, was actually the fifth-generation Civic. In its heyday in the late 1990s, the demand for Civics was such that sales associates couldn't process purchases fast enough to cope with the number of orders. In its 32-year presence in the country, save for a few models, Honda has consistently come out with strong versions of its popular nameplate.
