Honda South Africa introduced the all-new Honda Civic RS into the local market a few weeks ago. We weren’t at the ride and drive event but we did get our hands on a test unit for review. 

The all-new Honda Civic was introduced locally as a single derivative, which is dubbed the 1,5 RS. But ‘RS’ doesn’t mean the same in Honda-speak as it does for many other manufacturers. The Japanese automaker prefers to use the initials to represent ‘road sailing’. Performance fans need not panic as the hot Type R will debut locally in 2023.

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New Appearance

This eleventh generation Civic has grown somewhat, measuring over 4,5 metres in length. An additional 35 mm has been added to the wheelbase to benefit occupant space. However, it maintains an air of sleekness thanks to a low roofline and squat stance. 

Speaking of which, Honda SA sells the RS kitted with 18-inch alloys. These looked quite racy in matte black against the metallic paintwork of our loan unit. Other modern and sporty touches include LED head- and taillamps, gloss mirror caps, a shark fin antenna, and a rear boot spoiler.

Click here to read our Honda HR-V launch report.

Snazzy Interior

Drop down into the driver’s seat and you are greeted by a modern cabin that can be described as cosy. And we don’t mean that it’s cramped, either. Suede seat coverings and a dark colour palette made the interior feel warm and comforting. The standard seat heaters also helped in the midst of a Cape winter. Incidentally, the driver’s chair is electrically adjustable.

Ahead of the front passengers is a cabin-wide honeycomb mesh. This neat little divider between the upper and lower sections of the facia also houses the air vents for the front passengers. 

Atop the dashboard is a nine‑inch, touchscreen infotainment display. The system features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Thankfully the designers have left a physical volume knob and shortcut buttons for ‘home’ and ‘back’ access. The system is not responsible for climate controls. The dual-zone system is controlled by physical dials and buttons just above the gear lever.

In true Honda fashion the controls all feel well-crafted, work with precision and we have the sense that they will be for a long time to come. Oh, we must also mention the standard Bose hifi. The 12-speaker system was custom-engineered for the Civic. Warm vocals, crisp highs and punchy bass notes will keep you in the driveway a few minutes after arriving at home to finish listening to your favourite tune.

On the Go

The Honda Civic RS is offered locally with just a single powertrain option. A 1,5-litre turbocharged engine is mated with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The inline four produces 131 kW and a healthy 240 N.m of torque. Weirdly, Honda SA makes no performance claims for this model. However, they do quote a combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 6,2 litres/100 km. We didn’t get that close, but our best efforts did dip below the 7,0-mark on one trip.

The powertrain is a smooth operator. Normally a CVT can be a tedious option to live with, however when coupled with an engine that has a fat wedge of torque from low down (peak torque on tap from 1 700 to 4 500 r/min) it makes far more sense. There are steering wheel-mounted paddles in place, but the character of the car means you seldom, if ever, reach for these.

Soft on the Tush

Honda has, seemingly, paid a great deal of attention to the ride and comfort aspect of the Civic RS. It may ride on 18-inch alloys with low-profile rubber but the quality of the ride is impressive. The Civic just seems to absorb all road imperfections without so much as taking notice. This sensation is amplified by low noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels experienced in the cabin. 

Summary

The Civic and Ballade names are well-known to South Africans. They represented value-for-money, reliable honest motoring. That same reputation has made the nameplates top-sellers all worldwide over the last 50 years. This latest-gen model feels like a premium product that should do well. However, there are two major hurdles for the Honda Civic RS to overcome.

The first is its price, which is a heading towards the R700k mark. It must be noted that there are no options or extras to be had here. What you see is what you get and potential buyers need to be aware of that.

The second hurdle, which isn’t strictly a Honda problem, is that the market has, by and large, turned its back on four-door sedan(ish) models. Most buyers these days prefer to buy an SUV or a crossover to fulfil the needs of family transportation. We applaud Honda for sticking the course, but it may ultimately hurt them.

Model: Honda Civic RS
Price: R669 000
Engine: 1,5-litre inline four, turbocharged
Transmission: CVT, FWD
Max power: 131 kW
Max torque: 240 N.m
0-100 km/h: n/a
Top speed: n/a
Fuel consumption: 6,2 L/100 km