Honda Civic: 10th Generation vs 11th Generation - What are the differences?

Whatr are the key differences between the 11th generation Honda Civic and the 10th generation Civic Sedan?

Just a few days ago, Honda in the Land of Smiles launched the 11th-Gen Honda Civic Sedan. Malaysian Honda Civic fans must be excited because when Honda Thailand launches a car, we typically follow suit in a few months. It seems, Singapore will also be launching the Civic Sedan this Thursday, so does it mean we will be next?

Unfortunately, the answer is not so soon. Although it would only take Honda Malaysia a few months to set up a CKD production in Melaka, the launch of the facelift FC-generation model (10th generation) tells a lot about when we will be getting the 11th-gen Honda Civic Sedan.

Malaysian political affairs in 2019/ 2020 delayed the launch of the facelift FC Civic in Malaysia. As a result, it was finally launched in February 2020, a year and a bit after it debuted in Thailand. Traditionally, a facelift Honda model is sold for a couple of years at least before it's moved on, which means we will only be getting the 11th-gen Civic Sedan next year. 

With the flip-flopping of national recovery policies and government personnel, it's probably safe to say that Honda Malaysia will play it by ear and wait it out till things are a bit more certain, which means a delayed launching to next year - we predict Honda Malaysia will launch the 11th-gen Honda Civic Sedan in Q4 of 2022.

With this in mind, there is still no harm in aspiring to own the 11th-Gen Honda Civic, but what are the key differences between it and the 10th-Gen Civic? Let's take a look.

Exterior Design- More like a baby Accord?

At the front, the 11th-gen Civic sports the latest three-dimensional wide front grille, flanked by sleek headlights with an L-shaped DRL light signature. Round the sides, the car's glasshouse has been pushed back (at the front) and stretched at the rear (much like the Accord) to give the Civic a low-slung coupe-like silhouette. The characteristic kink in the bodyline just before the C-Pillar is another nod to the Accord's design cues.

Goodbye ketam lights, hello grown-up streamlined taillights

Honda has ditched the love it or hate it C-shaped "ketam taillights" for a cleaner, more streamlined rear lights with L-shaped graphics. The rear also features a curved duck-tail boot edge for an extra dose of sporty. The US market also receives contrasting coloured, or dual-tone finished wheels depending on variant.

Interior- Probably the most premium looking Civic interior ever

On the inside – the interior has been redesigned for a far more premium outlook than the 10th's stylistic approach. A detailed honeycomb mesh accent now runs the dashboard's width, which neatly integrates the air-conditioning vents. Up top, the touchscreen infotainment system is offered in 7- and 9-inch sizes depending on the variant.

Down the centre, the centre console features a main cubby space with an integrated Qi-wireless charge port (specific variants), and further back, the gear shifter and usual drivetrain controls are accompanied by two cupholders. The new Civic also benefits from a new front-seat design. The new-generation seat frame firmly holds the body, enhancing comfort on long drives using Honda's Body Stabilizing Seat approach.

Engine - bye-bye N/A, turbo is the talk of the town

If we use the Thai launch as a benchmark, it seems that the 11th-gen Honda Civic will not be made available with the venerable 1.8-litre naturally aspirated i-VTEC four-cylinder engine. Instead, all variants will be equipped with the 1.5-litre VTEC turbocharged mill. 

Interestingly, the Thai market Civic produces 4hp less than the American and Japanese Civics, coming in at 176hp and 240Nm of torque. However, it seems like they have chosen to prioritise torque over horsepower as the engine features 20Nm more torque than its JDM and North American equivalents.

Transmission - CVT with a sporty character

The engine will be paired with an updated continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) from the 10th generation model. The revised CVT enhances fuel efficiency by using a more robust electric hydraulic pump which reduces the load on the mechanical pump, and a ball-bearing secondary shaft to reduce friction. In addition, the transmission has been programmed to provide early downshifts during braking and stepped-gearshifts during hard acceleration to simulate physical gear changes for more driver engagement.

Safety - All variants senses danger now

Once again, looking at the Thai launch, all Civics now come standard with the Honda Sensing suite of driver assistance systems. Currently, only the highest spec (1.5 TC-P) 10th generation Honda Civic in Malaysia gets the Sensing Suite. The standard-fit Honda Sensing suite of driver-assistance technologies uses a new single-camera system that provides a broader field of view than the previous radar-and-camera based system. Combined with software advances and a new, more powerful processor, the system can more quickly and accurately identify pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vehicles, along with road lines and road signs.

The Honda Sensing ADAS suite features the following safety features:

• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow (LSF)
• Forward Collision Warning (FCW)
• Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS)
• Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS)
• Road Departure Mitigation (RDM)
• Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
• Auto High-Beam (AHB)

The system now adds Traffic Jam Assist. In addition, the new camera-based system improves existing functionality, such as more natural brake application and quicker reactions when using Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC).