Best Motorbuys: February 07, 2020

By Ross Kiddie
Honda Civic RS Sensing
Honda has one of the motoring world’s
most enduring nameplates – Civic.
The cheeky three-door hatchback
that was introduced in 1972 has gone on
to become one of the most sophisticated
models in Honda’s line-up today.
Sure, there are other badges which have
gone the distance as well, but the Civic
has good history and everyone I know
who has owned a Civic has always been
full of praise for its honesty, reliability and
economy.
I guess nothing has changed now that
we are into 2020, the Civic RS that this
evaluation focuses on is a very refined
mainstream model. Of course, the Civic has
grown markedly in stature, the hatchback
and sedan could well be deemed mid-size
models at over 4.6m, but they still have
the virtues that will lure the faithful and
newcomers into the brand.
Essentially, there are five Civic models,
three sedans and two hatchbacks,
although this doesn’t include the Type
R; if you want outright performance, that
228kW thriller is still the bee’s knees in
terms of hot hatchbacks.
This evaluation focuses on the $39,990
RS Sensing sedan, which gets Honda’s
delightful 1.5-litre turbocharged fourcylinder
engine. Bear in mind that you
can buy Civic SX ($32,990) without
turbocharged power, there are 1.8-litre
naturally aspirated driveline options.
That engine also develops good power
at 104kW and 174Nm. However, the RS
gets 127kW and 220Nm and, according
to Honda, both return healthy and close
fuel economy figures. The SX is rated
at 6.4-litres per 100km/h (44mpg) on
combined cycle average, while the RS will
make returns of 6.3l/100km (45mpg).
My son purchased some gaming items
off Trade Me and I offered to take the
evaluation car south to Ashburton to
pick them up. On the long straight roads
of State Highway 1 the fuel usage gauge
was listing just 5l/100km (56mpg)
instantaneously at the legal limit, the
engine quite relaxed working over at just
1600rpm.
That had a beneficial effect on overall
economy, when I took the evaluation car
back to the dealership the in-cabin average
was showing 7l/100km (40mpg), not too
distant from Honda’s claims.
While the engine is leaned out towards fuel
savings, that doesn’t mean it is unwilling
to perform, quite the opposite in fact. It is
a free revving unit with strong torque and
positive accelerator response, the turbo
boost is strong through the mid-range,
maximum torque arrives at just 1700rpm
and is carried through to 5500rpm; on the
occasions when I made use of the passing
lane, the Civic RS stormed through an
overtake with ease.
While there aren’t many corners on that
drive, there are a couple of tricky ones
off the main drag which test chassis and
suspension control. I’m pleased to report
the Civic in this form has direct corner
turn-in and acceptable handling balance.
Body lean is well contained, and the fourcorner
independent suspension set-up is
all quality in terms of shock absorption
without jeopardising cabin comfort.
A lot of how the Civic handles is a
direct result of the Type R performance
programme, and this has filtered down to a
fine ride comfort/handling balance, along
with providing strong communication
between the road surface and steering
wheel. The sport specification 235/40 x
18in Michelin Pilot tyres also play a part,
they have a wide road footprint and high
grip properties.
Not only does the Civic offer an involving
driving experience, it also is finished to
lure the buyer with its bold looks and edgy
design. The test car was painted a burnt
orange and it captured a lot of attention
with its sporty appeal.
Page 14
Price: Honda Civic RS Sensing,
$39,990
Dimensions: Length, 4662mm;
width, 1799mm; height, 1416mm
Configuration: Four-cylinder,
front-wheel-drive, 1498cc, 127kW,
220Nm, continuously variable
automatic
Performance: 0-100km/h, 8.5sec
Fuel usage: 6.3l/100km
It also gets a lot of kit. Sure there’s no
satellite navigation, but it does have plenty
of goodies which takes the model into the
value-for-money bracket.
The Civic RS also has all the safety
kit which easily qualifies it for a fivestar
Australasian New Car Assessment
Program rating. The Honda Sensing safety
technologies include an alphabet soup of
acronyms. Spelt out, they include adaptive
cruise control, low speed follow, lane keep
assist, collision mitigation braking, forward
collision warning, lane departure warning
and other key safety features.
When I returned home from my 190km
return journey, I told my wife how much
I enjoyed the Civic, she agreed by saying
that when she drove it it also left an
impression.
Not only does it represent sporty style and
performance, but it is a refined car in terms
of comfort and function.
It is also much of what I like about cars,
and while it most certainly fits into the
sedan/hatchback category its integrated
design borders on coupe-like styling, and
that definitely captures my attention.