Honda Malaysia today has officially launched the e:HEV hybrid variant of its 2022 Civic for the local market. The car also happens to be the top-of-the-line option and the second RS offering from the automaker’s 11th generation Civic range, as well as the first C-segment with a 2.0 litre e:HEV powertrain in the country. As you may recall, booking for the new vehicle was made available for booking in early October of this year.
To recap, the new Honda Civic e:HEV RS bears a strong resemblance to its petrol counterpart in terms of design, but with some takeaways that helps tell them apart. These include chrome elements to its front grille, window line and inner bezel of its headlights, as well as featuring dual-tone 18-inch alloy wheels, and a blue illuminated Honda emblem in front. Besides that, this variant has a lower center of gravity when compared to the rest of its siblings.
While its interior is also similar to the ICE variant of the 2022 Civic RS, unique to the hybrid model is a 10.25-inch digital instrument panel, dual-zone air conditioning, and a Qi wireless charger for compatible devices. In addition, the car is the first from Honda to come with smart key card support, which is essentially a thinner and more compact key fob for wireless entry and ignition.
Internally, the hybrid model is equipped with a 2.0 litre naturally-aspirated Atkinson-cycle four cylinder engine. As part of the car’s Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD) system, the direct-injection also functions as a generator to supply its 72-cell lithium-ion battery, which completes its onboard Intelligent Power Unit and E-CVT (electric continuously variable transmission).
As mentioned earlier, the Civic e:HEV RS is the top-shelf model from the current-gen series, therefore offering higher performance than its siblings – even its petrol counterpart. To be more specific, the hybrid car’s Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD) system offers 143 PS (139 hp) at 6,000 rpm and 189 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm, while the electric motor driving its front wheels provides 184 PS (181 hp or 135 kW) and 315 Nm.
Features-wise, found onboard are numerous Honda Sensing safety functions. These include the Lead Car Departure Notification System, Adaptive Cruise Control, Low Speed Follow, Collision Mitigation Braking System, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Keep Assist System, Road Departure Mitigation, Lane Departure Warning, and Auto High Beam.
The all-new Honda Civic e:HEV RS is priced at RM 166,500 (on-the-road, without insurance), which is a tad more pricier than the petrol-based RS model that is currently going for RM 150,700. In terms of colour selection, the hybrid variant is available in Ignite Red Metallic, Crystal Black Pearl, Meteoroid Gray Metallic, and Platinum White Pearl. Further details regarding the newly launched model can be found through Honda Malaysia’s official website.
