2022 Honda Civic e:HEV: Hatchback vs Sedan

Honda Civic is turning 50 years old this year, and the Japanese automaker celebrates this milestone with the reveal of e:HEV hybrid versions of the car. Honda introduced the hybrid hatch in Europe last week, followed by a hybrid sedan in Thailand a couple of days later. Here we are going to compare two hybrid Civics in terms of engine specs, exterior, interior, safety and price, have a look.

Engine specifications

The Thai-spec Honda Civic e:HEV sedan and Euro-spec Honda Civic e:HEV hatch are equipped with the same hybrid setup. That’s a combination of a 2.0-litre direct-injection Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine, dual electric motors positioned at the front, and a new 72-cell lithium-ion battery pack. Honda claims that this newly developed combustion engine has a stratospheric thermal efficiency of 41%, which is one of the highest among production vehicles.

As far as the output is concerned, the hybrid models churn out a maximum power of 184 PS and a peak torque of 315 Nm. The power is sent to the front wheels through a fixed-gear transmission in the hatch and a continuously variable electric ratio auto gearbox in the case of the sedan.

With the Euro-spec model, Honda offers four driving modes - Eco, Normal, Sport, and Individual enabling the switching between hybrid, fully electric, and engine-only power. However, the Thai-spec sedan gets the first three and misses out on the Individual settings.

When it comes to fuel economy and emissions, Honda proudly says the new Civic e:HEV hatch will return around 5.0 litres per 100 km (20 kmpl) and emit less than 110 grams per kilometre of carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, no such statement is yet available for the sedan version.

Exterior

The petrol-electric Civic models look practically identical to their petrol-powered versions in terms of exterior design. With a rear end shorter by 125 mm, the Euro-spec model boasts full-width tail lights, sizeable trapezoidal exhaust exits, and a lightweight resin deck lid. The front end gets a mesh grille paired with thin rectangular headlights.

In contrast, the 2022 Honda Civic e:HEV sedan comes in the sporty-looking RS trim with flashy red RS badges, chrome accents, black-painted details, a cool pair of 18-inch alloy wheels, and a prominent rear spoiler. However, a lower-spec EL+ trim without RS styling will also be on offer.

Interior

Here, the most obvious difference is the position of the driving seat, as the models belong to different regions. The Euro-spec Civic hybrid hatch gets a left-hand drive, while the model introduced for the Land of Smiles is a right-hand drive. The latter also benefits from RS-specific sporty elements like glossy black accents on the dashboard and red stitching on the synthetic leather upholstery. 

Feature-wise, both models are kitted with a 9-inch Advanced Touch infotainment system, a 10.2-inch digital instrument display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, auto climate control, and more.

Safety

To ensure the safety of passengers, Honda has packed the hybrid Civic models with the Honda Sensing suite of driver assistance systems. The pack includes adaptive cruise control with stop and go, autonomous emergency braking, lane centring assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and Traffic Jam Assist. 

A significant difference to be highlighted here is the number of airbags. While the Thai model continues to offer six airbags, the Euro-spec Civic e:HEV exclusively comes with 11 airbags.

Price

Honda Europe remains tight-lipped on the Civic e:HEV hatchback price point, whereas Honda Thailand, unveils the estimated pricing. It will offer the EL+ trim for almost 1,150,000 baht (RM 143,985) and RS under 1,270,000 baht (RM 159,009). Both cars will hit the roads later this year.

When will Civic e:HEV come to Malaysia?

In Malaysia, Honda launched the new 11th-gen Civic in January this year. It currently retails the sedan in three trims - E, V, and RS, ranging between RM 125,635 and RM 144,350. We hope the e:HEV trim will be soon added to the local lineup.

Also read: 2022 Honda HR-V: How different is it from the current model?