Low maintenance, reliable, but no more - Reasons why 1.8 i-VTEC is dropped for 2022 Honda Civic FE

• Previous Honda Civic FC’s 1.8-litre SOHC i-VTEC made 141 PS / 174 Nm
• Entry-variant Civic offered very decent performance and features
• Affordable pricing, low maintenance, very reliable, but no longer available in latest 2022 Honda Civic FE

Honda’s R18 engine is one of the most reliable petrol-burning engines ever made. The 1.8-litre naturally-aspirated SOHC i-VTEC engine is mechanically simple and cheap to maintain.

Its 141 PS / 174 Nm provides decent enough poke. That is why in our buying guide for the previous generation Honda Civic FC, we explained that for casual drivers, the simpler 1.8-litre i-VTEC is highly recommended even though it’s not as powerful as the 1.5-litre VTEC Turbo variants’ 173 PS / 220 Nm.

Also read: 2020 Honda Civic 1.8L NA vs 1.5L Turbo, worth paying more for the power?

However the 2022 Honda Civic FE is now only available with the L15B7 1.5-litre VTEC Turbo engine, now updated to make 9 PS more power and 20 Nm more torque – 182 PS and 240 Nm.

Also read: Malaysia’s 2022 Honda Civic FE gets more power than Thailand's, here’s why

With the entry 1.8-litre naturally aspirated engine no more, the starting price for the Honda Civic FE has also increased significantly – from RM 113,600 to RM 125,634.

Previously, the 1.8-litre variant contributed 40 percent to the Civic FC’s total sales, so it’s difficult to understand why Honda Malaysia dropped this variant, at least when viewed from the perspective of a Malaysian buyer.

Of course, Honda doesn’t revolve around Malaysia and the requirements of Civic buyers in other bigger, more developed markets are diverging from Malaysia’s, and Honda Malaysia has little say in this.

Also read: Why are Honda engines so reliable? With 100 hours of red-lining test!

Compliance to environmental regulations make R18 1.8-litre i-VTEC no longer feasible

Large Project Leader for the Civic FE Mr. Tomoyuki Yamagami explained, “Moving forward towards the future, considering environmental restrictions globally, it was decided that we focus on the development of the new 1.5-litre turbocharged unit, and put all our resources to developing this model. As for the 1.8 NA engine, it’s rather old in terms of the engine itself.”

We understand that Honda Malaysia, along with several other developing countries, did include the entry 1.8-litre i-VTEC variant in their proposal / request, but after considering all aspects, it was decided that keeping so many engine options is not a prudent option, especially considering Honda’s longer term goal of moving away from combustion engines.

In Europe, Honda now sells only hybrid and electric models. In USA, its biggest market, Honda aims to sell only electric vehicles (EV) by 2040. In China, its second biggest market, all new models launched after 2030 will be either a hybrid or an EV.

By 2040, all new Honda models launched in major markets around the world will be EVs.

As such, Honda is cutting back on resources to develop / update existing / new combustion engines.

Civic Hybrid to supplement Civic Turbo?

Actually, the 1.5 turbocharged engine won’t be the only engine offered. A hybrid variant is on the way but it’s too early for Yamagami to say more about it.

When asked about the possibility of an e:HEV variant of the Civic FE, Yamagami said, “Technically it is possible. We cannot disclose further details right now, please wait for further announcements on the development.”

Separately, Honda Malaysia’s CEO Ms. Madoka Chujo said, “Honda Malaysia is planning to expand our hybrid line-up and and Civic on the list for future hybrid development. The details will be shared once it’s available.”

The previous Civic FB and Civic FD were available as a hybrid, back when imported (CBU) hybrids were exempted from import and excise tax. However, sales were quite limited because back then, Honda hybrids were mild-hybrids (Integrated Motor Assist, IMA).

Sales of Honda hybrids only picked up once the full-hybrids like the i-DCD Sport Hybrid Jazz, City and HR-V – all locally-assembled (CKD), the first for a Honda distributor outside of Japan – were introduced.

Curiously, Honda Malaysia is targeting more or less than same sales volume for the 2022 Honda Civic FE as the previous generation Civic FC, despite the higher starting price.

Honda Malaysia aims to sell 900 units of the 2022 Honda Civic FE per month, compared to the previous 2020 Honda Civic FC’s 1,000 units per month target.

When asked about the rationale behind the sales target set, and considering that the Civic 1.8S, which used to contribute 40 percent of Civic sales in Malaysia, is no more, Honda Malaysia explained that since this is an all-new model, demand is expected to be higher than the previous facelift model.

They also added that although sales of C-segment sedans are slowing, the Civic has been bucking the trend. For Honda Malaysia, the Civic is competing in a class of its own so it isn’t too concerned about the wider segment’s downtrend.