Honda Malaysia has announced the start of orders for the Civic e:HEV RS, the hybrid version of the latest tenth-generation Civic. After an eight-year hiatus, the C-segment sedan finally gets an electrified variant again, with more power and a higher level of standard kit than the petrol models—but also at an expected higher price.
Honda Civic e:HEV RS Malaysia pricing and availability
Customers can book the e:HEV model at all authorised Honda dealers starting today, October 13. For the first time, Honda Malaysia is also accepting orders online through a special website and the HondaTouch app, the latter available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Pricing has not been released just yet, but the company says the car will sit at the top of the local Civic lineup. Right now, the range is topped by the petrol RS variant, which is priced at RM150,700 on-the-road without insurance, and we can expect the hybrid model to cost quite a bit more.
Honda Malaysia already sells an e:HEV model—the HR-V e:HEV RS, which commands an RM6,000 premium over the HR-V 1.5 Turbo V at RM140,700. Given that the Civic e:HEV RS is not only more powerful than the HR-V but also carries a higher level of kit compared to the petrol RS, we may see this variant being the first Civic that touches the RM160,000 mark.
Now, the eagle eyed amongst you may say this won’t be the most expensive non-Type R Civic to be sold here, as the eighth-generation Civic Hybrid was once offered at an eye-watering RM185,500. However, this variant was only offered for a very short while after the government pulled the tax incentives for imported hybrid vehicles in 2014—the car was previously priced at RM119,980.
Honda Civic e:HEV RS specs
At the heart of the e:HEV powertrain sits an electric motor that drives the front wheels. It’s far more powerful in this application than in the HR-V, producing a stout 181hp and a whopping 315Nm of torque. That’s two horsepower and 75Nm more than the petrol Civic’s 1.5-litre VTEC Turbo engine, enabling the car to sprint from zero to 100km/h in 7.8 seconds. The motor is juiced by a new 72-cell battery that forms the basis of a lighter and more compact Intelligent Power Unit (IPU).
Charging the IPU is a 2.0-litre direct-injected i-VTEC four-cylinder petrol engine, which churns out 141 hp and 189Nm. Not only does the mill function as a generator, but it can also drive the car directly at higher speeds using a single-speed transmission and a lock-up clutch. The lower engine outputs do mean that the top speed is quite a bit lower than the turbocharged petrol models, at 179km/h.
The main benefit, of course, is fuel consumption—Honda claims a combined figure of 25km per litre. Contrast this to the petrol models, which have a quoted fuel consumption of 17.2km per litre.
Slight tweaks to exterior, more kit as standard
While the e:HEV variant is visually very similar to the petrol Civic, it does receive a few exterior tweaks. Aside from the prominent e:HEV badge at the back, the car also gets blue accents on the front and rear Honda badges, along with a chrome strip on the front grille. It also rides on new two-tone alloy wheels with black Y-shaped spokes, although they maintain the 18-inch diameter of the petrol Civic RS. Chrome headlight accents, a chrome window line strip and a single (instead of dual) exhaust complete the look.
Honda Malaysia hasn’t provided any interior images so far, but it has confirmed that the e:HEV will receive a buttonless smart key card that you can easily slip into your pocket. This does mean that if you want to use the remote engine start feature—which continues to be offered on the hybrid model—you will likely have to use the traditional key fob.
This feature is already offered on the Thai-spec model, and given that the car is positioned as the range-topping variant in Malaysia, it’s likely it will include a few other bits from our northern neighbours, including dual-zone automatic climate control, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a Qi wireless charger. These items are sorely missing on the petrol Civic in Malaysia.
Elsewhere, the e:HEV comes with the same nine-inch infotainment touchscreen as the other Civic models, coming with wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto connectivity. It also receives the full complement of Honda Sensing driver assists, including autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane centring assist, lane keeping assist, automatic high beam and a LaneWatch blind spot camera.
