Facelifted Honda Civic arrives in Thailand

KUALA LUMPUR: Following its arrival in the United States, the new Honda Civic will now be available to the Thai masses as well. 1.8 E, 1.8 EL, 1.5 Turbo, and 1.5 Turbo RS are the four different trims of the sedan made available in Thailand. New elements and resigned appearance takes the new pricing to 874,000 baht - 1,219,000 baht.

On the outside, the new Honda Civic now gets a newly revamped bumper along with reshaped grille. Fog lamp housing on the Civic gets either a piano black or a chrome finish which varies with the variant you choose. Move to the sides, and you will see 17-inch alloys on the VTEC Turbo and 16-inch alloys on the other variants. Reflectors with dedicated housing are placed on either end of the rear bumper. A chrome bar also runs across the bottom of the rear bumper.

The 1.8 E geta a 5-inch infotainment system with 6 speakers whereas the other variants come equipped with a 7-inch screen along with 8 speakers. There is also a navigation system on the top of the line 1.5 Turbo RS’. Other features available depending on the Civic variant include projector headlamps, keyless entry and start, 8-way powered driver’s seat, auto air-conditioning, 4-way powered passenger seat, leather upholstery, LED DRLs, and LED taillights.

Under the hood, there are two engine options available on the 4 variants of the facelifted Honda Civic. First is a 1.8-litre naturally-aspirated 4-pot i-VTEC petrol motor which is capable of churning out 143 PS of max power at 6,500 rpm and a peak torque of 174 Nm at 4,300 rpm. The second engine is a 1.5-litre VTEC Turbo 4-cylinder good enough for 176 PS at 5,500 rpm and 220 Nm between 1,700 and 5,500 rpm. Transmission duties on all the variants irrespective of the engine are handled by a continuously variable transmission (CVT) unit.

Exterior color options on the new Civic include Lunar Silver Metallic, Brilliant Sporty Blue Metallic, Platinum White Pearl, Modern Steel Metallic, and Crystal Black Pearl. Beige or black finished interior is offered with the sedan. Safety wise, the car comes equipped with 4 airbags (6 on the 1.8 EL and 1.5 Turbo RS), Vehicle Stability Assist, ABS with EBD, rearview camera, and Emergency Stop Signal, among others.