Honda Civic e:HEV - Better than the Civic 1.5 Turbo?

If you thought that the 2022 Honda Civic FE range couldn't get any better, then brace yourselves for the incoming Honda Civic hybrid model - the Honda Civic e:HEV.

Just like the currently available Honda City RS and HR-V RS hybrid models, the Honda Civic e:HEV will be entering the Malaysian market soon and we got to try it out at the Sepang International Circuit. What do we think of it? Two thumbs up all the way to the showroom, baby.

First 2.0-litre e:HEV powertrain from Honda Malaysia

Unlike Honda Malaysia's other two e:HEV hybrid models, the Honda Civic e:HEV will be the first model in its line-up to be powered with the 2.0-litre e:HEV hybrid powertrain dubbed the i-MMD or intelligent Multi-Mode Drive.

The Civic's newly-developed 2.0-litre NA Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine is paired with dual electric motors that function as a generator for the lithium-ion battery onboard while the other uses the generated electricity to power the front wheels.

The ICE engine in itself produces 143PS and 189Nm of torque but when paired with the electric motor, the Honda Civic e:HEV punches out a respectable 184PS and 315Nm of torque. To put things into perspective, the Honda Civic RS with its 1.5 turbocharged engine produces 182PS and 240Nm of torque.

In other words, the Honda Civic hybrid model has 2PS and 75Nm of torque more, and they can be delivered to the front wheels faster thanks to the nature of the Honda i-MMD powertrain. Mated to an 'E-CVT' (Electric Continuously Variable Transmission), the Honda Civic e:HEV smokes the Civic 1.5 Turbo in a drag race while being more efficient with its fuel consumption (up to 25km/l when driven sensibly).

Exterior - Additional 'hybrid' highlights

At first glance, the Honda Civic e:HEV variant might look similar compared to the non-hybrid Honda Civic RS, and that's because they are. They're both the Civic FE with similar RS trims, but there are some differences that can help you to differentiate between the two RS models.

For the Honda Civic e:HEV, the Honda badges at the front and rear have slight blue highlights just like the ones found on the City RS and HR-V e:HEV RS. The next giveaway is those 18-inch wheels which come with dual-tone rims, one tone more compared to the non-hybrid Civic.

At the rear, you'll find the e:HEV emblem as well as a single exhaust - one less compared to the Civic 1.5 Turbo. Other details include some chrome bits on the front grille, door handles, and window lines. These are subtle differences in terms of its exterior, but can be easily identified with a slightly longer glance.

Complete Honda SENSING safety package

We highly suspect that the Honda Civic e:HEV will be launched as the highest variant within the Civic line-up, and that means that Honda Malaysia won't be skimping on the safety specs for its latest Honda Civic hybrid model.

The Honda SENSING safety suite is included as standard and for those who are unfamiliar, it includes:

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

As an added bonus, the Honda Civic e:HEV will be the first model from Honda Malaysia to come with a 'Key Card' for enhanced convenience when it comes to keyless entry as well as vehicle start-up. More details will be released soon as we head closer to its official launch date (we don't know yet, but it'll be soon).