The all-new 2022 Honda Civic finally says hello Malaysia, and with the bevy of improvements it also brings something new to us – the RS badge, a first for the Civic nameplate here.

With its RM 144k price tag, it’s RM 6,307 pricier than the mid-range 1.5 V, and commands an RM 18,715 premium over the base 1.5 E.

What’s added on?

The RS – which stands for Road Sailing, and not Rare Spec/Rempit Sport by the way – kit mostly concerns aesthetics, with one major addition to its Honda Sensing active safety suite.

Also read: From foggy roads to congested cities, Honda Civic’s Sensing is one of the best

Over the other two variants the RS gains black ring inserts in its LED headlights, gloss black garnish on the side mirrors and window surrounds, and a black shark fin antenna.

It all comes together better with the shiny black boot lid spoiler, chrome pair of exhaust finishers, and my personal favourite, the matte-black 18-inch wheels.

The whole package is then capped with RS badges up front and the back.

Inside, the RS gains special suede-leather seats with red stitching, the latter of which also appears on the leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob.

Also read: 2022 Honda Civic FE gets 1,200 bookings prior to launch – 1.5 V most popular

Complementing that is a set of sports pedals, and additional red lighting on the front doors.

Safety sees an update too, with the RS’s Honda Sensing suite gaining a ninth function in Lead Car Departure Notification (LCDN), with the other 8 being:

• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
• Low-Speed Follow (LSF)
• Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
• Road Departure Mitigation (RDM)
• Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS)
• Forward Collision Warning (FCW)
• Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS)
• Auto High Beam (AHB)

What's standard?

Besides these standout features the RS shares the same L15B7 1.5-litre turbo engine with the rest of the line-up, with an output of 182 PS and 240 Nm.

This output is the highest in the region, and why that’s the case is explained in this article.

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

Paired to that is a CVT automatic that can adjust itself to different driving conditions based on input from the vehicle’s steering angle and wheel speed sensors, among others.

Also read: No more S or ECON mode in the all-new 2022 Honda Civic’s CVT? It’s still there, here’s how to find it

Other than that, cheaper variants also come with LED headlights and tail lights, the full suite of Sensing (sans LCDN) and rear air-cond vents, the last item being one of the few things our car does better than our regional neighbours’.

Also read: 4 features on the Malaysian-spec 2022 Honda Civic FE that Thais don't get

There’s no free lunches, so this added kit sees the entire FE range eclipsing the previous Civic FC’s prices (last sold from RM 109k to RM 135k), pricier than the Toyota Corolla Altis, and well into Mazda 3 Sedan territory now.

Wapcar's Comment:

If you ask us, our pick of the range is the 1.5 V, as it offers the best value for money. But we can also understand the appeal of the range-topping RS too. Whether or not it's worth the extra RM 6.3k over the mid-ranger is up to you to decide.