Honda Cars Philippines launched the all-new, 11th-generation Civic last November, but due to heightened alert levels, was only recently able to take us for a spin to showcase its new features.
As someone who witnessed the heyday of the Civic, I still get excited with every all-new model. At its peak, it was THE car to have whether you were a racer, a ricer (hehe), or just someone who wanted a great daily driver. My first car, in fact, was a white Civic.
While the Civic may no longer be the main sales driver in HCPI’s stable, it still holds a special place in the hearts of fans. Fans who are now old enough to buy one.
Driving South
As the “new normal” protocol dictates, the 1-day drive was spread over four days to accommodate more participants, and everyone involved was swabbed prior to departure. Each participant had a car to him/herself with the exception of those who brought a camera crew.
As luck would have it, I was assigned the top-of-the-line RS variant that has all the bells and whistles the model has to offer.
Styling
While the silhouette of the 11th-gen Civic may be a bit similar to the previous iteration, it is an entirely new beast. The keywords used in the making of this model were “Exhilarating Civic” and the designers were spot on. After several vanilla-ish generations, the Civic is exciting again!
While others would describe it as having a more mature styling, I would rather say that the Civic has evolved and regained its stature. Its elongated hood and sloping roofline give it a premium appearance, and as with all modern designs, the Civic’s new DRLs, which is found across all variants, and the LED headlamps (on the V and RS grades) literally and figuratively brighten the Civic’s facade.
The blacked-out grille and trims complement its sporty look, and the fog lamps on the V and RS are not only functional but also complete the aesthetic.
The sharp character line that runs through the side and continues to the rear lights gives it a cohesive fluid look.
My Ignite Red Metallic RS had variant-exclusive details like black-painted side mirrors, door handles, shark fin antenna, a trunk spoiler, as well as chrome-finished dual-exhaust pipes for that additional sporty vibe.
Interior
Once you get in the driver’s seat, you can’t miss the honeycomb grille that runs through the entire dash. At first, I thought the bold element was a bit much, but the look grows on you and adds a youthful-yet-retro feel to the otherwise serious interior. The AC toggles also blend well with the thoughtful mix of virtual and physical buttons. As expected from a Civic, everything is within the driver’s reach, and there’s a logic and familiarity to the layout.
The Civic’s new multi-information display (MID) and the heads-up infotainment system are straight-forward and easy to navigate. While the RS gets slightly bigger screens, information and warning alerts are clearly displayed on all models.
I’ve always said that wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto is such a simple yet significant quality-of-life addition, and as I’ve recently upgraded my Jurassic mobile phone, I have also added wireless charging to my list of nice-to-haves. Both features can be found on the RS and the absence of cables truly is a thing of beauty. To easily find one’s most comfortable driving position, the top variant has 8-way power-adjustable seats that are clad in black leather and suede, aside from the tilt and telescopic steering wheel that is a standard feature. Oh and the driver’s field of vision seems to have improved, too.
The best thing about the new safety protocol for media drives is that no one is there to judge you when you test the sound system by blasting Coldplay (x BTS) singing about their Universe. The BOSE system, by the way, is yet another good argument to get the top trim.
Under the hood
The entire line of the all-new Civic is powered by a 1.5-liter 4-Cylinder DOHC VTEC Turbo engine that can produce 178PS of power and 240Nm of torque. The new engine produces more power than the bigger 1.8L, naturally aspirated mill that its predecessor had. Also found across the board is a well-tuned CVT, as well as the HONDA SENSING safety suite, which we will get to later.
To balance performance with practicality, the all-new Civic is equipped with driving modes that you can switch to on the fly — Econ, Normal, and the RS variant exclusive, Sport.
Safety
Vehicle safety features are divided into two types: on one side are the passive features you pray you don’t get to test like structural strength and airbags deployment, and the active type which assists drivers to have safer drives. This is the category Honda SENSING falls under and its now standard in all the variants of the all–new Civic.
One of the reasons why I particularly enjoyed this drive was the fact that it wasn’t a speed run and the changes of pace allowed us to appreciate the nuances of the car’s features more. The Honda SENSING suite that is standard across all trims isn’t intimidating to use because activating and overriding the features are both easy to do.
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow (LSF) can adjust the driver’s set cruising speed based on the car in front. This includes automatic deceleration and acceleration as needed. The Low-Speed Follow (LSF) only activates when a vehicle is running below 30 kph and can bring the vehicle to a full stop when needed. The driver can override both features by simply stepping on the brake or accelerator.
Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) helps you keep in your lane by sending a vibrating reminder on the steering wheel as well as a visible warning that pops up on the MID when the vehicle veers from its lane without the use of turn signals.
Road Departure Mitigation System with Lane Departure Warning (RDM with LDW) – the RDM feature prevents the vehicle from leaving the road, while the LDW notifies the driver when the car is going off course. Similar to the LKAS system, it only engages when the driver departs from his lane without using the turn signal lights.
Lead Car Departure Notification System (LCDN) is particularly handy in traffic as it alerts the driver of the vehicle when the car in front has moved ahead from a standstill.
Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) alerts the driver of frontal collisions with visual and audible warnings. It will also automatically apply the brakes when necessary, and the audible alarm will stop once the system detects that there is no more risk of collision.
Other safety features standard across all variants are Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS); Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD); Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA); Hill Start Assist (HSA); Emergency Stop Signal (ESS); Child Lock; ISOFIX Child Seat Anchor; Security Alarm; Immobilizer; and Driver, Front Passenger and Side Airbags. All these features contributed to the Civic’s 5–star safety rating under the new 2021 ASEAN NCAP assessment.
Availability
The 11th-generation Civic is available in the following colors:
- Morning Mist Blue Metallic (new color; V and S variants)
- Meteoroid Grey Metallic (new color; all variants)
- Ignite Red Metallic(exclusively for RS variant)
- Platinum White Pearl (RS and V variants) *Platinum White Pearl– Additional PHP 20,000
- Lunar Silver Metallic (exclusively for S variant)
The suggested retail prices are as follows:
- S Turbo CVT Honda SENSING – Php 1,290,000
- V Turbo CVT Honda SENSING – Php 1,498,000
- RS Turbo CVT Honda SENSING – Php 1,690,000
The all-new Civic comes with Honda’s standard 3 years / 100,000 km (whichever comes first) warranty.
Impressions
The all-new Civic is a solid car and ticks many boxes for would-be buyers of a C-segment sedan. It looks great. It’s fun to drive, and its predictable and consistent performance bolsters the driver’s confidence. It has different driving modes to fit your changing requirements and ride quality is good. Seating is comfortable no matter where you are in the cabin and I was surprised I wasn’t as tired as I thought I would be after our 256.5-kilometer drive. Best of all, its safety features are top-notch and are arguably one of the best executions of the technology to date.
Read more about Honda here:
- https://ignition.ph/news/all-new-honda-civic-v-turbo-cvt-honda-sensing-now-available-at-dealerships
- https://ignition.ph/news/honda-cars-ph-sells-racecar-proceeds-spent-on-ppes-and-food-for-frontliners
- https://ignition.ph/news/all-new-city-and-city-hatchback-post-25km-l-in-ecorun
- https://ignition.ph/news/honda-cars-fairview-is-moving-to-a-bigger-location
- https://ignition.ph/news/launched-all-new-honda-city-hatchback-with-photos-and-spec-sheet