Launch
Back in April 2016, Honda Cars Philippines Inc. introduced the tenth-generation Civic. Back then, there were only two avaialble variants: the top-spec Civic RS Turbo with the 1.5-liter mill, and one with a naturally-aspirated 1.8-liter engine.
A few years later in April of 2019, the Japanese marque gave the Philippine-spec Civic a facelift, as well as a new variant called the Civic S 1.8. With its introduction, it now sits as the entry-level trim for the aforementioned Honda model.
Philkotse's review of the 2020 Honda Civic 1.8
Exterior
For the Philippine market, the Honda Civic's top-spec RS Turbo and mid-range E trim are equipped with LED headlamps, LED taillights, front foglamps, and side-mirrors with turn-signal side repeaters. The Civic S variant only has halogen headlamps, but it also comes standard with the exterior features mentioned above.
When it comes to wheels, the Civic RS Turbo rides on an 18-inch alloy set, while the Civic S and E come with 16-inch alloy wheels.
Avialable color options for the Civic include Midnight Burgundy Pearl, Cosmic Blue Metallic, White Orchid Pearl, Modern Steel Metallic, Lunar Silver Metallic, and Ignite Red Metallic
Interior
As a compact sedan, the Honda Civic for the Philippines has space for up to five occupants, with room to spare for cargo at the back. As standard, the S and E trims come with fabric seats, while the RS Turbo has leather seats. Common on all trims are rear folding seats for more cargo space, automatic air-conditioning, as well as a 12-volt accessory socket.
For the driver, the Civic RS Turbo variant provides an electronically adjustable seat. The rest of the variants have manual height adjustable driver's seats, but a tilt and telescopic steering wheel is standard on the model. Also standard on the Honda sedan is a digital trip computer, and a push to start button. The top-spec trim comes with a digital gauge cluster instead of the analog one available on the Civic S and E.
Technology & Safety Features
To entertain its occupants, this Japanese-made sedan for the Philippine market comes equipped with a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system. On all variants, the said system can connect via USB, Bluetooth, and Aux-in. The Civic RS Turbo adds on to those connectivity options by providing Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The RS Turbo and the E trims have six speakers, while the Civic S has four.
For safety, the Honda Civic comes standard with hill-start assist, speed-sensing door locks, anti-lock braking with electronic brake-force distribution, and stability control. In terms of airbags, both the S and E trims come with dual front airbags, whereas the top-spec RS Turbo has four airbags.
Platform & Chassis
In terms of size, the Philippines-spec Honda Civic sedan comes with an overall length of 4,649mm, a width of 1,799mm, and a height of 1,416mm. It also has a wheelbase length of 2,698mm, and a ground clearance of 133mm.
As with Civics in the past, the current version uses a front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout. For suspension systems, it uses a MacPherson strut type for the front, and a multi-link type suspension for the rear. Braking is handled entirely by disc brakes, and the parking brake is an electronic type with an auto-hold function.
Engine & Drivetrain
For the Philippine market, the Civic has two engine options. The more powerful one is a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-4 gasoline engine that can churn out up to 171 horsepower and 220 Nm of torque. The other engine is a 1.8-liter naturally-aspirated inline-4 gasoline engine that can produce up to 139 horsepower and 174 Nm of torque.
The 1.5-liter mill is only avialable on the RS Turbo variant, but all variants utilizes a continously variable transmission, which sends power to the front wheels.
