2022 Honda Civic RS test drive review

Introduced just three months ago, the all-new 11^th generation Honda Civic FE is now more expensive than its predecessor by almost RM10,000.

Despite the price hike, sales performance has only been on an upward trend since its launch.

To date, more than 2,000 units of the all-new Civic have been purchased in Malaysia, making it the C-segment best-seller in the first quarter of 2022.

Out of the three variants launched, we were told by the folks at Honda Malaysia that the crowd favourite is actually the highest-spec variant – the Civic RS.

So, in order to find out just how good the new Civic RS is, we got our hands on it last week on a drive from Subang Jaya to Penang and back through a combination of highways, B-roads, as well as a fair share of traffic congestion, just to see if the price hike can be justified at the end of the day.

Priced at RM144,350 on the road without insurance, the new Civic RS is the sportiest looking variant with a few exclusive features like the 18-inch black wheels, the black rear spoiler, black door handles, and the RS emblems that set it apart from the lower-spec models.

Even if look at the E and V variants, the Civic looks more matured than its predecessor, which was just too “loud” in terms of the design. Although the design is simpler than before, there’s no denying that Civic actually looks better than the outgoing model.

The simplicity of the exterior continues inside the car as well, but as simple as it looks, the new Civic’s cabin actually feels significantly more premium than before, as the components, buttons, switches, toggles, and levers are all made of high quality materials.

In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the new Civic’s interior is on par with many European cars out there like your Volkswagen Golf or the BMW 218i Gran Coupe in terms of build quality and refinement.

While the fully digital instrument panel in the RS variant looks classier than before, infotainment comes courtesy of a nine-inch touch-screen system which supports Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Mirror Link, Bluetooth, and the usual connectivity options.

Space is not a problem at all as there is ample head and legroom both in front and at the rear.

Even storage space is decent. Making things more practical and convenient are the two USB ports in front, two at the rear and the rear air cond vents.

Unlike the E variant which comes with fabric seats and the V variant which features full leather seats, the Civic RS’ seats are clad in a combination of leather and fabric to give a sporty feel, with contrasting red stitching.

The seats are slightly firmer than what you get in the Altis, but the level of comfort and support is still considered good.

The only downside is that the car is quite low which means that getting in and out of the Civic can be an issue for old folks, or people with back or leg-related issues due to the low seat positioning.

Under the hood, all variants of the new Civic get the same engine which is a tweaked and more powerful version of the outgoing Civic’s 1.5-litre VTEC Turbo mill, producing 182 PS and 240 Nm which is 8 PS and 20 Nm more than before.

Sending the power to the front wheels is a CVT gearbox which is super-smooth.

Capable of sprinting from naught to 100 km/h in 8.5 seconds, the Civic RS’ power delivery is super seamless, bringing the car to speeds of around 160 km/h effortlessly.

When pushed harder, the car was able to achieve the claimed top speed of 200 km/h without any signs of struggle.

Complementing the smooth and powerful powertrain is a chassis that is more rigid than before, well-engineered suspension, the low centre of gravity and the 18-inch Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres which translated into a very planted, engaging, yet comfortable ride.

Another huge plus point of the new Civic is that it comes with the Honda Sensing suite of safety features which comprises driver assistance features like Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist, Forward Collision Warning, Road Departure Mitigation, and Low Speed Follow which enables the car to drive itself without us having to operate the pedals.

With just a few presses of a couple of buttons on the steering wheel, all the systems above work hand-in-hand so well to give a relaxed, safe, and stress-free driving experience especially when we are stuck in traffic jams.

That being said, the Civic has improved in almost every aspect imaginable, especially in terms of design, performance, safety, and the build quality which definitely justifies the hike in its price.  

Also read: All-new Honda Civic in pictures