First announced for Thailand back in March this year, the Honda Civic e:HEV will officially make its launch debut in the Land of Smiles on June 15, according to Headlightmag. As previously reported, the hybrid version of the 11th-generation Civic offered in two variants, namely the e:HEV EL+ for 1.15 million baht (RM146,139) and e:HEV RS for 1.27 million baht (RM161,370) – these are estimated prices provided by the company.
These will join the existing EL and EL+ to form a four-variant line-up, with the previous, non-hybrid RS dropped. The EL and EL+ continue to come with a 1.5 litre VTEC Turbo four-cylinder engine that serves up 178 PS at 6,000 rpm and 240 Nm of torque from 1,700 to 4,500 rpm, with drive going to the front wheels via a CVT.
The e:HEV variants’ hybrid powertrain features Honda’s i-MMD (intelligent Multi-Mode Drive) technology, which consists of an electric motor rated at 184 PS (135 kW) and 315 Nm driving the front wheels. The electric motor draws power from a lithium-ion battery that is juiced by a gasohol-compliant 2.0 litre naturally-aspirated Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine with its own electric motor that acts as a generator.
While the system runs as an EV most of the time, the engine can provide direct drive via lock-up clutch at high speeds when it’s more efficient to do so. Drivers will have three drive modes (Econ, Normal and Sport) to choose from, and the report states a combined fuel consumption of 25 km/litre.
As for equipment, the e:HEV variants will come with 17- (EL+) or 18-inch (RS) wheels, blue-accented Honda logos, chrome window trim, door handles and front grille garnish, e:HEV badging, hybrid-specific displays, rear air vents and 60:40 split-folding rear seats.
Other standard kit includes LED lighting, keyless entry and start, dual-zone climate control, powered front seats, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a nine-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a Qi wireless phone charger, Honda Smart Key Card, Honda Connect, eight speakers, leather/suede upholstery and remote engine start.
Based on the estimated pricing, the base hybrid variant – e:HEV EL+ – is 140,100 baht (RM17,804) more than the VTEC Turbo-powered EL+ which goes for 1,009,900 baht (RM128,335), which is an increase of about 13.9%. The gap grows to 260,100 baht (RM33,046) when compared to the e:HEV RS, or about 25.7% more.
Honda Malaysia’s executive coordinator, Yujiro Sugino, has said in a past interview that the company plans to expand its e:HEV line-up here. Currently, only the City and City Hatchback are available with the e:HEV powertrain, and they joined by the all-new HR-V, which will be offered with hybrid power, when the crossover is launched in the third quarter of this year.
The company hasn’t confirmed if the Civic e:HEV will be introduced in the future, but given the price differential in Thailand, would you be willing to pay a premium for the i-MMD system? For context, the range-topping, VTEC Turbo-powered RS we have now retails at RM144,350.
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