Honda Civic S variant axed from brand’s local lineup

The Honda Civic S variant has been quietly dropped from the Philippine market. If one takes a gander at the Honda Cars Philippines (HCPI) website, the only Civic trims that are left are the V Turbo CVT and the top-spec RS Turbo CVT.  

The Honda Civic S trim

Note that the Civic S trim was the most affordable variant when the current-gen Civic was launched. To be exact, it was priced at Php 1,368,000, while the V Turbo retails at Php 1,583,000, and the RS Turbo is priced at Php 1,775,000. 

Like the other two trims, it was also equipped with the Honda Sensing driver-assistive safety suite. The suite includes a lead car departure notification system, lane-keeping assist, auto high beams, road departure mitigation, collision mitigation braking, and adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow.  

These made the Civic S one of the most affordable models that came with the Honda Sensing suite in the Philippine market, and a potent choice for buyers who just want a no-frills car with the utmost safety. It was even priced slightly below the top-spec Honda BR-V VX Honda Sensing, which in turn is currently available at Php 1,390,000. 

So why did Honda PH drop the Civic S? Well, the brand has yet to release an official statement regarding that. But regardless, there are several possible factors that might cause this.  

Priced at Php 1.389 million, the HR-V S is now the most affordable vehicle locally that's equipped with Honda Sensing

First off, HCPI might be seeing a much lower demand for the Honda Civic S compared to the other two trims. That said, it might not have been able to pull its weight in terms of sales, failing to return the company’s efforts in marketing and promoting it.  

There’s also the fact that it might have gotten a bit pricey to produce. Remember that it gets Honda Sensing, a series of complex technologies that require sensors, chips, and other advanced electrical components. Those don’t exactly come cheap these days. In the end, this might mean a slimmer profit margin for the car maker. 

So, are you sad to see the Honda Civic S go?  

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