Honda Civic Remains the King of C-Segment, Here’s Why

Honda Malaysia just announced that the new Civic, which was updated with minor design changes and Honda Sensing suite of safety features, has managed to retain the no.1 spot in the C-segment as of June 2020.  Just what makes the Civic so popular among the rakyat?

Launched in February this year after much anticipation, the Civic has outsold its main rivals - the Toyota Corolla, Mazda 3, and the Hyundai Elantra with more than 2,900 units nationwide which translates to 70% market share.

While the Central region contributed 44% to the total sales, the Southern Region contributed to 17%, followed by the Northern Region with 15%. Even now, the Civic is receiving positive response from the market with a total of more than 6,500 bookings as of June 2020, with a month-long waiting list.  

First and foremost, the Civic’s biggest strength is its competitive pricing versus its rivals:

• Honda Civic – From 109,320
• Toyota Corolla – From RM123,972
• Mazda 3 Sedan – From RM135,070
• Hyundai Elantra 2.0 – RM109,888
• Kia Cerato 1.6 – RM99,754

The less popular Koreans aside, the Civic is the most affordable among the “big” three, which is already a big plus point. On top of that, what makes it the crowd favourite is the fact that it has quite a bit to offer for that price.

Design wise, the Mazda 3 is without a doubt the best looking model here in our opinion. However, the Civic is not that far behind. Even in its stock form, it looks very youthful and sporty, which is a big plus for young buyers.

The design is further complemented with features like LED Headlights and DRLs, LED Front Fog Lights, redesigned bumpers, a sportier looking black grille, a new spoiler, as well as 18-inch Black Alloy Wheels.

Even inside, the Civic looks quite stylish, and offers decent level of practicality with the new 60:40 foldable rear seats, and 519-litres of boot space.

But that is not all, as the one area in which the new Civic really outdoes its rivals is safety. While the highest specification variant and upgraded version features Honda Sensing which includes:

• Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS)
• Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS)
• Blind Spot Display
• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
• Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
• LaneWatch

The following are offered as standard in all variants:

• Six Airbags
• Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA)
• Agile Handle Assist (AHA)
• Hill Start Assist (HSA)
• Emergency Stop Signal (ESS)
• Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
• Brake Assist (BA)
• Auto Brake Hold (ABH)
• New Front Sensors and Rear Seat ISOFIX

Under the hood however, nothing has changed compared to the pre-facelift model. Power comes courtesy of a naturally aspirated 1.8-litre SOHC i-VTEC engine producing 104 PS and 174 Nm of torque, or a turbocharged 1.5L VTEC engine making 173 PS and 220 Nm of torque.

Thanks to the low centre of gravity, the new Civic is among the nicer cars to drive in the segment as well. It may not be as sharp and exciting as the Mazda 3, but it is on par, if not better than the rest of the horde. 

In conclusion, the new Civic is turning out to be a hit because it is the model that offers the best value for money. Despite being one of the more affordable names in the segment, it offers striking looks, a long list of features, as well as class-leading safety.

Feel like purchasing one? The price now minus SST is as mentioned below: