Honda Malaysia recently introduced the updated 2020 Honda Civic, which is set to challenge the Toyota Corolla Altis and Mazda 3.

New to the Honda Civic facelift include the inclusion of Honda Sensing, new 60:40 split-folding rear seats, Honda LaneWatch, a new infotainment system, and a new climate control system.

The updated Honda Civic is priced from RM 113,600 to RM 139,600.

Design

Honda took the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach with the Civic facelift - changes are minimal, limited to the mild-restyled front bumper with updated front fog light housings and black front grille.

The Civic 1.5 TC-P even receives a new rear spoiler.

Dimensions

Lighting

The base Civic 1.8 S is equipped with halogen projector headlights, while both turbocharged variants of the Civic get LED headlights. 

Despite the differences, all variants of the Civic get LED daytime running lights. 

Wheels

The Honda Civic is available with wheel sizes ranging from 16- to 18-inches.

Dashboard

The updated 2020 Honda Civic's dashboard remains largely identical to the earlier model, with some minor tweaks - the climate controls now have fan speed control knobs, while the infotainment system has been updated with a physical volume knob and buttons.

Space and Practicality

Typical of Honda, interior practicality is unrivalled - storage spaces are aplenty and easy to reach, while the centre armrest console is spacious enough to store all your miscellaneous items. 

Boot

The Honda Civic has a 519-litre boot, which can be further expanded as the model now features 60:40 split-folding rear seats.

Safety Features

As standard, all variants of the Honda Civic are equipped with 6 airbags, stability control, and traction control. 

The Civic 1.5 TC-P further adds Honda LaneWatch and Honda Sensing ADAS suite. 

Comfort Features

All variants of the Honda Civic receive rear air-conditioning vents, while leather upholstery is standard fitment on turbocharged variants of the Civic. 

In addition to those, an 8-way power-adjustable driver seat is fitted to all variants of the Civic.

Infotainment

Unlike the pre-facelifted Honda Civic, the new model gets an infotainment display with physical buttons and a volume knob.

As before, the infotainment system has support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, while audio is routed to an 8-speaker sound system. 

Engine

The 2020 Honda Civic gets 2 engine options: 

As such, turbocharged variants of the Civic are also the most powerful C-segment sedans you can buy.

Transmission

All variants of the Honda Civic feature a continuously variable transmission (CVT). 

Both turbocharged versions of the Civic feature steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. 

Drivetrain

The Honda Civic is a front-wheel-drive model. 

Acceleration

According to Honda, the Civic 1.8 S is able to complete the 0-100 km/h sprint in 10.4 seconds, while the turbocharged version completes the same 0-100 km/h dash in just 8.2 seconds. 

Engine Performance

With a generous 220 Nm of torque available from just 1,700 rpm, acceleration is effortless. 

The Civic 1.8, on the other hand, has sufficient grunt for day-to-day driving conditions.

Transmission Performance

The CVT-type automatic is smooth, though for heavy-footed drivers, the CVT's delay to imitate a downshift may dampen the driving experience. 

Steering and Handling

Similar to the Honda HR-V RS, the Civic is also equipped with a variable-ratio steering rack.

While it sounds good on paper, at times the Civic's steering lacks proper road feedback that robs away from the otherwise decent driving experience.

Despite that, the steering weightage is on point, not too heavy or too light.

If driving dynamics is your top priority, check out the Mazda 3 instead. 

Sound Proofing

Soundproofing is not the Honda Civic's strongpoint - tyre and road noises are apparent from the cabin.

Passenger Comfort

The Honda Civic is reasonable comfortable, as the suspension is well-tuned, striking the fine balance between ride comfort and handling.

That said, its low ride height could make ingress and egress a pain for elder folks.

Thanks to the small capacity turbocharged engine and CVT-type automatic, the Civic's fuel consumption is pretty decent. 

In typical KL traffic, the Civic returns 7.7-litre/100 km, but improves to 6.6-litre/100 km on highways.

The 2020 Honda Civic is the embodiment of Honda's engineering - the turbocharged engine is strong, while the cabin practicality is bar none. Couple that with Honda Sensing and LaneWatch, it is no surprise why the Civic currently tops the C-segment sedan market. (2020 Honda Civic vs Toyota Corolla Altis)