Introduction
The new tenth-generation Honda Civic was first introduced back in the year 2016. It is genuinely good car that is value for money and comes with a handsome looking design. Honda has taken the criticism of the consumers of the underwhelming ninth-generation predecessor, Honda has thrown the full might of its engineering department to give us what arguably is the best Civic to date.
There is much to like about the new Civic, mainly it all new 1.5-litre VTEC Turbo engine – which produces 173hp and 222Nm of Torque, it propels the Civic to the same performance league as the Ford Focus EcoBoost and Volkswagen Golf TSI. The most remarkable feature of the Civic is that in terms of performance it is within striking distance when compared to the BMW 320i and Mercedes C200.
However would the Civic still be a desirable car out there if without the 1.5-litre VTEC Turbo charged engine ? Would the base 1.8-litre SOHC i-VTEC engine be able to satsify the needs of potential car buyers without losing its edge in the competition? Well we are here to find out.
An innocuous “i-VTEC” badge on the bootlid marks this car out as the entry variant, a compared to its premium variant whereby there is a small turbo badge located right below the VTEC badge on the top right corner of the headlamp.
The other feature that makes that differentiates the 1.8L base variant Civic from its premium turbocharged 1.5Lvariant is the wheelsize. The 1.8L Civic comes equipped with 16 inch alloy wheels whereas the 1.5L variant comes equipped with 17 inch alloy wheels.
The base variant Civic also shares the same basic halogen projector headlamps, halogen fog lamps, and body colour-finished door handles as the mid-range 1.5 Turbo; the Turbo Premium model upgrades these to LED lighting and chrome finishing.
In terms of interior you would get fabric seats instead of leather seats that are featured in the premium 1.5 Litre Civic. However in terms of the overall layout design of the cabin, you would get the same features as available in the premium variant Civic.
The keyselling point of the Civic that is worth mentioning is the on its own is the Civic’s walkaway auto lock feature and remote engine start system. With the engine switched off, the doors automatically lock themselves once the key fob is taken a certain distance away from the car.
The remote engine start system is a really handy feature to have especially when it is a hot and sunny day. By using this system, the owner can remotely start the car from a certain distance allowing the cabin of the car to be kept cool before entering the car. Honda has also equipped the Civic with an ingenious safety feature whereby the transmission cannot be taken off ‘P’ without the key fob being inside the car.
On the road, the engine’s performed really well and is able to keep pace with the ongoing traffic. Eventhough, the 1.8 L R18 SOHC i-VTEC has age, it still remains a refined performer pulling revs with both smoothness and conviction. The new in-house Earth Dreams CVT, which replaces the old 5-speed auto transmission, gives the Civic a much smoother drive as it shift patterns intelligently to match throttle inputs.
In terms of handling the Civic performed really well. The Civic FC’s stiff chassis, further strengthened by a rear cross brace gives the driver a good degree of body control, enabling turn-ins to be executed with precision even at high speeds of around 60km/h-80km/h.
Honda as claim an average fuel consumption of 9.9 litres/100km for the 1.8L base variant and 9.6 litres/100km for the Turbo variant.
In terms of real world evaluations of fuel consumption under similar driving conditions, the base 1.8 variant Civic and premium 1.5 Turbo Civic can be expected to return similar fuel consumption numbers if both cars were driven in a proper and decent manner.
Honda is one of few manufacturers that provide a comprehensive schedule and cost breakdown for servicing on its website. As with other models currently in the range, Honda prescribes a 6-month/10,000km interval for the Civic 1.8. The Civic Turbo, on the other hand, follows a condition-based schedule, with engine oil and filter replacement intervals prompted by the vehicle’s on-board diagnostics.
In summary, these are the regular maintenance items
· Engine Oil (6-month/10,000km interval): RM108.90
· Oil Filter (1-year/20,000km interval): RM26.30
· Air Cleaner, Dust, Pollen Filter: (1½-year/30,000km interval): RM179.11
· CVT Fluid (2-year/40,000km interval): RM120.85
· Brake Fluid (3-year/60,000km interval): RM33.54
· Iridium Spark Plugs (5-year/100,000km interval): RM398.58
· Fuel Strainer (5½-year/110,000km interval): RM335.28
· Coolant (10-year/200,000km interval): RM128.86
On its own, the Civic 1.8 is an entirely adequate package, offering respectable performance and a decent level of equipment that is as complete as one can expect from the segment. If you have the budget to spare it would be highly recommended to opt for the turbo variant instead, however if your more of a budget savvy user than the base variant 1.8L Civic should be sufficient for your day to day driving needs.
For detailed review of the 2016 Honda Civic, kindly click on the video below. Credits to Bobby Ang for reviewing the 2016 Honda Civic.
Specifications:
- Price: RM108,165 (On the road with Insurance)
- Engine: 1.8-litre, Inline-4 Transverse, i-VTEC, Petrol
- Power: 141PS @ 6,500rpm
- Torque: 174Nm @ 4,500rpm
- Transmission: Auto Transmission, Front Wheel Drive ( FWD)
- Safety: 6 airbags, ABS, EBD, Electronic Stability Control, Traction Control, Brake Assist, Hill Start Assist, ISOFIX, Emergency Stop Signal, Reverse Camera
- Origin: Locally-assembled in Malacca
Exterior of the Civic
An innocuous “i-VTEC” badge on the bootlid marks this car out as the entry variant, a compared to its premium variant whereby there is a small turbo badge located right below the VTEC badge on the top right corner of the headlamp.
The other feature that makes that differentiates the 1.8L base variant Civic from its premium turbocharged 1.5Lvariant is the wheelsize. The 1.8L Civic comes equipped with 16 inch alloy wheels whereas the 1.5L variant comes equipped with 17 inch alloy wheels.
The base variant Civic also shares the same basic halogen projector headlamps, halogen fog lamps, and body colour-finished door handles as the mid-range 1.5 Turbo; the Turbo Premium model upgrades these to LED lighting and chrome finishing.
Interior of the Civic
The keyselling point of the Civic that is worth mentioning is the on its own is the Civic’s walkaway auto lock feature and remote engine start system. With the engine switched off, the doors automatically lock themselves once the key fob is taken a certain distance away from the car.
The remote engine start system is a really handy feature to have especially when it is a hot and sunny day. By using this system, the owner can remotely start the car from a certain distance allowing the cabin of the car to be kept cool before entering the car. Honda has also equipped the Civic with an ingenious safety feature whereby the transmission cannot be taken off ‘P’ without the key fob being inside the car.
Drive-ability of the Civic
On the road, the engine’s performed really well and is able to keep pace with the ongoing traffic. Eventhough, the 1.8 L R18 SOHC i-VTEC has age, it still remains a refined performer pulling revs with both smoothness and conviction. The new in-house Earth Dreams CVT, which replaces the old 5-speed auto transmission, gives the Civic a much smoother drive as it shift patterns intelligently to match throttle inputs.
In terms of handling the Civic performed really well. The Civic FC’s stiff chassis, further strengthened by a rear cross brace gives the driver a good degree of body control, enabling turn-ins to be executed with precision even at high speeds of around 60km/h-80km/h.
Fuel Economy of the Civic
Honda as claim an average fuel consumption of 9.9 litres/100km for the 1.8L base variant and 9.6 litres/100km for the Turbo variant.
In terms of real world evaluations of fuel consumption under similar driving conditions, the base 1.8 variant Civic and premium 1.5 Turbo Civic can be expected to return similar fuel consumption numbers if both cars were driven in a proper and decent manner.
Honda is one of few manufacturers that provide a comprehensive schedule and cost breakdown for servicing on its website. As with other models currently in the range, Honda prescribes a 6-month/10,000km interval for the Civic 1.8. The Civic Turbo, on the other hand, follows a condition-based schedule, with engine oil and filter replacement intervals prompted by the vehicle’s on-board diagnostics.
In summary, these are the regular maintenance items
· Engine Oil (6-month/10,000km interval): RM108.90
· Oil Filter (1-year/20,000km interval): RM26.30
· Air Cleaner, Dust, Pollen Filter: (1½-year/30,000km interval): RM179.11
· CVT Fluid (2-year/40,000km interval): RM120.85
· Brake Fluid (3-year/60,000km interval): RM33.54
· Iridium Spark Plugs (5-year/100,000km interval): RM398.58
· Fuel Strainer (5½-year/110,000km interval): RM335.28
· Coolant (10-year/200,000km interval): RM128.86
Summary
On its own, the Civic 1.8 is an entirely adequate package, offering respectable performance and a decent level of equipment that is as complete as one can expect from the segment. If you have the budget to spare it would be highly recommended to opt for the turbo variant instead, however if your more of a budget savvy user than the base variant 1.8L Civic should be sufficient for your day to day driving needs.
For detailed review of the 2016 Honda Civic, kindly click on the video below. Credits to Bobby Ang for reviewing the 2016 Honda Civic.
New Honda Civic FC 1.8 S Full In Depth Review
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