Honda Civic e:HEV LX Hybrid 2023 Long-Term Review

UPDATED 21/12/2023: Over the course of this long-term review, we’ve noted various missing elements in the 2023 Honda Civic e:HEV that should be included in a small car costing $55K.

Head-up display, 360-degree camera view, ventilated and massaging front seats, driver’s position memory, an electric tailgate, to name but half a dozen.

But the biggest omission, not just on the Civic but many, many other new cars today, is the one that brought our long-term test to a premature end: a spare tyre.

Living in country Victoria, driving on a mix of bitumen and gravel roads, means punctures tend to come annually in our multi-car household. It’s generally not a big deal.

Changes are made easily enough – DIY usually, but with roadside assist never far away – and a quick trip to our brilliant local tyre shop sees the puncture repaired on the spot or replacement rubber quickly found.

In the case of our Honda Civic e:HEV review car, a flat tyre brought out roadside assistance – a free service for the first five years of ownership – then, based on the fact that it was a press car, a last-minute directive from Honda Australia not to use the puncture repair kit but to order a tow truck out instead.

It came the next day, so thank the automotive gods we were at home and not anyplace else…

In this case, the tow truck went all the way back to the big smoke and we never saw the Civic again. But ordinarily, it would have gone to the nearest Honda Centre – and I’m convinced the process would still have been time-consuming, complicated and expensive.

Here’s how I reckon it would have gone:

I would’ve used the sealant and compressor myself or, if I stuffed that up or decided against the DIY option in the first place, Honda’s roadside assist contractor in our area would’ve come out and made a quick assessment – temporary fix or tow truck.

Both options require fronting up to the “nearest authorised Honda facility for repair or replacement at the owner’s expense”.

Our nearest Honda Centre is more than an hour away. If the car was towed away, getting there by public transport, based on the Victorian government’s app, would take, umm, 15 hours. Uber? “No rides available.”

Honda says we might have been able to negotiate with them to use an independent tyre retailer closer to our location, but no guarantees there.

No guarantees they stock 235/40-series Z-rated 18-inch Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres either.

I’m not sure where this drama would’ve left us physically, mentally or financially, including whether emergency accommodation or alternative transport costs to get to a Honda Centre would be covered, given it’s not technically a breakdown (“non-mechanical assistance”). You can read the fine print yourself in Honda’s policy document.

But there’s no mistaking our feelings about the process.

The lack of a spare tyre in the Honda Civic e:HEV – or any car, for that matter – sours the experience.

All that effort put into such a well-rounded and mostly excellent car, the positive feelings we’d developed during our time with it. Carried away on a flatbed…

UPDATED 21/11/2023: Living with, rather than merely sampling, a new car always highlights the good, the bad and the just plain annoying, but that’s life and the 2023 Honda Civic e:HEV is no different.

Overall, the things we enjoy far outweigh the needling aspects and design flaws – from our perspective, at least.

On the latter, we’re not talking about the look of the new Civic – that’s something to savour, and which also routinely draws praise from friends and strangers alike. But the rakish styling does bring compromises, which are only exacerbated by the hybrid packaging.

At the rearmost end, the cargo area is an acceptable size for a couple but comes under pressure once you add another person and attempt a weekend away.

More like a fastback sedan than traditional hatch, the Civic hybrid’s boot is awkwardly shaped, with only 860mm width in some spots, extending to 1180mm for a small portion near the tailgate.

It’s both an uneven and high-mounted floor too (albeit with no useful storage or spare tyre underneath), leaving just 500mm in height to a flimsy, narrow retractable luggage area cover that can easily get tangled unless extreme care is exercised. There’s less height closer to the tailgate, while loading to the top of the hatch opening allows 735mm.

Distance from the tailgate to back seats is better at 930mm. You can fold the 60/40-split rear bench down to liberate another 820mm in load length (depending on front seat position) but need to account for the floor step and the ramp that’s created when the seatbacks are laid down.

There’s the usual quartet of tie-down points, a 12V power socket and a shopping bag hook, however no electric tailgate function is a big miss at this money.

Across the rear seat, tall folk will find headroom too close for comfort (a combination of sunroof and sloping roofline), and although room in other directions is fine and amenities are generally good, the plushness found in the front compartment doesn’t extend this far back.

It’s missing rear map lights, and large sections of hard plastic trim at the window side of the outboard seats impact aren’t welcome, but all-round comfort for two adults is good. Air vents, USB outlets, cup holders, seat pockets, useful door bins, etc are all there.

It’s here where you feel right at home in 2023 Honda Civic e:HEV. There’s no position memory for the driver’s seat, but that was never a problem over this long-term test with two drivers alternating behind the wheel and adjustments that come quickly and easily.

I’d forgo the quirkiness and minimalism permeating rival cars (especially Euro marques) for the ease of operation found here. Any day.

The button for heating the steering wheel is, would you believe, on the steering wheel. Climate controls are exactly where you’d hope they’d be. You can turn the seat heaters on without taking your eyes off the road. When the lane guidance system gets confused on rural roads, you simply switch it off with two clicks via tactile buttons on the tiller.

What the dash lacks in style or integration with the instrument panel it more than makes up for any perceived loss with a fuss-free and ergonomic layout. It all works as it should, yet in a quality and contemporary setting.

This makes the absence of a head-up display less significant, but a surround-view camera is needed. The lower console buttons for transmission selection also take some getting used to, but posed no great issue over the longer term – just as the support and comfort from the two front seats were never in question, 1500km down the road.

UPDATED 1/11/2023: We’ve now spent several weeks with the 2023 Honda Civic e:HEV, watching prices from some competitor brands move upwards as availability remains limited, and appreciating the fact that Honda’s positioning is holding firm – for now.

Civic hybrid pricing is still undeniably high but arguably commensurate with the equipment on offer. We just wish Honda Australia wasn’t so hell-bent on setting a $55K entry and ceiling with the one car, especially when the e:HEV is turning out to be a lovely thing to live with.

(Sadly, the company has also just applied the same formula to the pretty darn excellent new-generation Honda CR-V, which is only available as a hybrid in a single flagship variant.)

Fuel economy has held relatively firm at 5.2L/100km as we pass the 1000km mark, which reflects the open-road environment the Civic has found itself in over the past month or so – commuting between city and country, stretching its legs on weekend drives, happily agreeing to fast blasts with a never-dull 10km round trip to the nearest shops.

Early impressions are now firmly entrenched. The tyre roar gets tiresome on coarse bitumen and gravel roads, but just about everywhere else the Civic e:HEV throws a healthy dose of sportiness, refinement and maturity into the economical daily drive.

The suspension is firm but supple, the handling nicely balanced and stable, the steering direct, the brakes up the task in terms of effectiveness and feel (free of unwelcome regen, unless you dial it in), while the engine is eager to press on whenever the driver asks.

Sure, it’s a lean-sipping hybrid powertrain with a CVT, but one of the best such combinations going around. Big doses of right foot deliver a strong response, the electric assistance working seamlessly with the combustion engine for smooth and willing performance.

Throw it into Sport mode and you’ll also get a raspy synthetic note – together with firmer steering, improved throttle response and different instrument graphics – while at the other end of the scale it’s nice to slink silently out of the garage in the early hours under full-electric power, letting sleeping dogs lie, if only for a moment or two.

An Individual mode allows you to tailor the powertrain, steering and instrument display settings between Normal and Sport (and Eco with the powertrain, which doesn’t seem to make much difference).

Overall, there’s a sophistication to the way in which the Civic e:HEV drives that adds to its value and presents a solid case for the extra outlay compared to the non-hybrid Civic VTi LX – particularly when you consider the additional equipment and other benefits we’ve discussed below.

REVIEW PUBLISHED 30/06/2023: In Australia’s super-competitive auto landscape, Honda has moved away from being one of the top-selling brands and is now concentrating on cars with a premium edge.

It trades on elegance and sophistication, adopting a take-it-or-leave-it attitude where there’s only a high specification and a price to match, with no haggling and few, if any, items of equipment relegated to the options list.

As such, the latest-generation 2023 Honda Civic has narrowed its focus to only three models differentiated by powertrain and focus – normal internal combustion (VTi-LX), petrol-electric hybrid (e:HEV LX) and manic performance (Type R) – rather than multiple grades and trim levels that attract a broader spread of buyers with varying budgets.

Here, the initial outlay is high but you will be rewarded with a generous spread of features and undeniable excellence in other areas such as engineering and build quality.

We’ve already driven each of the three new Civic models at their respective national launch, following up with more in-depth testing of the VTi-LX at carsales’ Car of the Year 2022 – where it was roundly praised – and the Civic Type R in a comparison with the Toyota GR Corolla, where the new Honda hot hatch was a clear winner.

We’ve also run a separate review of the VTi-LX based on a week-long loan, but have now turned our attention back to the e:HEV hybrid for a longer-term examination over several weeks.

It’s this sort of test that shines a brutal white LED light on not only the latest Civic but Honda’s new identity in Australia.

You’ve got to buy into both, putting faith in the company’s direction, paying handsomely for the privilege and hoping it turns out to be a worthwhile investment in the long run.

We’ll get to those long runs as we update this long-term review in the coming weeks, but let’s first take a look at where the 2023 Honda Civic e:HEV LX is positioned and why you’d want to make an investment of $55,000 drive-away in the first place.

That’s a big number for a small hatchback, however there are no other costs in getting the car on the road – including rubbery dealer delivery fees – and no major options, just a bunch of common accessories.

Keep in mind that you’re also buying into a premium specification, a pretty darn good hybrid powertrain and a brand reputation for quality in areas such as fit, finish and refinement – all of which we’ll be analysing carefully.

Ditto for the value we’d place on the overall driving experience.

The turbo-petrol Civic VTi-LX is more $7800 more affordable than the e:HEV at $47,200 drive-away, the white-hot Civic Type R in another league altogether at $72,600 d/a.

Rivals include the Toyota Corolla Hybrid, the Cupra Leon VZe and Peugeot 308 GT plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and, perhaps, EVs such as Cupra Born, BYD Dolphin, MG4 and the bigger Tesla Model 3.

The e:HEV is covered by Honda’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and has six-year rust perforation cover. There’s also five years’ worth of complimentary map updates and a Honda Connect subscription running for the same period, the latter tapping into Honda’s new telematics system that provides remote connectivity services.

The three exterior paint colour options are included in the drive-away price – the striking Premium Crystal Blue metallic of our review car, an equivalent metallic red and Platinum White pearlescent.

As far as accessories go, an ‘essentials pack’ for $819 bundles in the most popular items: mudguards, weather shields, carpet mats, heavy-duty cargo area tray and rear bumper and boot lip protectors – all worth $1020 if you buy them individually, according to Honda.

Service intervals are every 12 months or a relatively short 10,000km (whichever comes first). ‘Low Price Services’ are still in place for $199 over the first five workshop visits, but conditions apply and costs will soon mount if you love driving and breaking free of city limits, like we do.

The circa-$8000 higher asking price for the 2023 Honda Civic e:HEV LX compared to the VTi-LX is realised in a variety of ways beyond simply the hybrid powertrain.

In fact, it’s almost as if Honda has moved to avoid criticism levelled at the VTi-LX by adding not only some big-ticket items but making a host of detail spec changes to improve the value equation of the e:HEV LX.

There’s the first application of the Honda Connect telematics system mentioned above, a Smart KeyCard, active noise control, panoramic sunroof, 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, leather-appointed seats (as opposed to a leatherette/suede combo), power lumbar support for both the driver and front passenger seat, a new Individual driving mode and heating for the steering wheel that’s been on in our test car for several weeks in the depths of Victoria’s winter.

We should mention here that the front seat warmers have also been on – and stay on, in a sense, given that when you return to the car and start the ignition they’re back toasting again, whether you want them on (or if you have a passenger) or not.

Smaller, but welcome, equipment additions brought with the e:HEV LX over VTi-LX include a second rear USB port, auto up/down rear power windows (in addition to front), a 12V outlet in the cargo area, driver’s seatback pocket, a second coat hook and a slide extension on the front sun visors.

Important safety features have also been added, which we’ll explain below.

You can see the full rundown of Civic e:HEV equipment here, comparing alongside the VTi-LX features list here.

In essence, it’s a nice, long list but missing the odd feature here and there that we might have expected from such a new-age, premium-spec contender – a head-up display, ventilated and massaging front seats, driver’s position memory, electric tailgate and so on.

The extra safety features found on the 2023 Civic e:HEV LX that aren’t included on the VTi-LX – and should be, of course – are a centre front airbag, rear side airbags, traffic sign recognition and an intelligent speed limiter linked to the active cruise control system.

Front and rear parking sensors are now included, assisting the reversing camera (which covers three angles), but there’s no 360-degree surround-view camera system.

You also get bigger brakes that help compensate for the extra weight of the hybrid system on the Civic e:HEV, which has a 1497kg kerb weight (+128kg).

These additions fill out the standard safety package that also includes frontal, knee, side and head airbag protection for the driver and front passenger, and head protection for outboard rear occupants. All up, a reassuring 11 airbags are fitted around the cabin.

Advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) also extend to forward collision warning, a collision braking mitigation system, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, traffic jam assist, road departure mitigation, blind spot information, driver attention monitoring and automatic high beam.

As ever, the functionality of these systems is a key area of focus that we’ll discuss in later updates as we rack up the miles in the e:HEV.

There’s still no ANCAP safety rating for the new Honda Civic in Australia, but it has earned a maximum five-star result from the comparable European NCAP regime.

The headline new tech feature on the 2023 Honda Civic e:HEV LX is right in front of the driver: a 10.2-inch fully digital instrument display that presents a broad array of information and is configurable, with easy adjustment via tactile steering wheel controls.

This combines with a high-mounted 9.0-inch central touch-screen connecting with (wireless) Apple CarPlay, (wired) Android Auto, Bluetooth, DAB digital radio, AM/FM bands and native satellite navigation with over-the-air map and system updates (free for the first five years).

A wireless charging pad is provided, next to two USB ports and a 12V outlet. Another two USB slots are found in the rear seat area and a second 12V outlet in the cargo hold.

A Bose premium sound system is piped through 12 speakers including subwoofer, with volume adjusted based on vehicle speed (aka Bose Dynamic Speed Compensation).

The Honda Connect telematics system debuting with the e:HEV allows owners to connect with the car remotely to control door locks, climate (pre-heating/cooling) and lights (helping locate at night), as well as to monitor battery voltage and access information like trip history, fuel range, etc.

It includes automatic collision detection, sending an alert to Honda’s customer service centre if an airbag is deployed, and an emergency call button. You’ll also be notified when malfunctions are detected, if the car appears to have been stolen (geofence alert) or is being driven faster than your pre-set limit (speed alert), but if it’s a family member we guess it’ll be up to you to sort things out…

There’s hasn’t been a Civic hybrid available in Honda showrooms since 2015 (when it was priced at $33,990 plus on-road costs), so the 2023 Honda Civic e:HEV marks a welcome return for petrol-electric power in the small car – albeit with a much higher $55K price tag.

And there is certainly more power on offer than the previous 82kW/172Nm 1.5-litre powertrain, nearly twice as much in fact, with the e:HEV producing 135kW/315Nm – a combination of its 105kW/186Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder direct-injection petrol engine, two electric motors and a small 1kWh lithium-ion battery.

Peak power is produced from 5000-6000rpm, torque from 0-2000rpm.

The e:HEV drives the front wheels in conjunction with an electric continuously variable transmission (dubbed eCVT), which has a drive-by-wire mechanism that allows for a clean button-controlled selector on the centre console rather than a bigger lever as found in the VTi-LX.

The hybrid system is clever one, automatically shifting between full-electric, hybrid and pure engine drive at a range of speeds and driving conditions. It will often run as EV around the city, but doesn’t simply give up on providing electric assist at higher speeds.

That improves acceleration and response, such as when executing a quick overtake or pressing on, while keeping a lid on consumption too.

The e:HEV can accelerate from 0-100km/h in a claimed 7.8 seconds, based on the lightest model sold in Europe at 1517kg; the Aussie-market hybrid (for which there is no official performance claim) is slightly lighter at 1497kg, despite the high spec. Top speed is listed at 180km/h.

If you’re weighing up the e:HEV LX against the VTi-LX, the non-electrified Civic uses a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder churning out 131kW at 6000rpm and 240Nm from 1700-4500rpm. It tips the scales at 1369kg and runs from 0-100km/h in a claimed 7.5sec.

Economy is a key selling point of the 2023 Honda Civic e:HEV and one we’ll be monitoring closely over our long-term test.

The official claims, based on lab (rather than road) testing, put the combined-cycle consumption figure at 4.2L/100km. This drops to 3.2L/100km on the urban cycle but climbs to 4.9L/100km on the extra-urban (highway) cycle.

That low city mileage comes from the Civic hybrid’s ability to run in EV mode for extended periods, while driving on the highway at a constant speed will see the system rely exclusively on the petrol engine drive.

Our first 500km has returned 5.1L/100km, with mostly open-road driving and only short stints in the city.

The fuel tank in the e:HEV holds 40 litres, compared to 47L in the turbo-petrol VTi-LX, although you’re naturally consuming more with the pure combustion engine (6.3L/100km combined, 8.0L urban, 5.4L extra-urban).

Some early teething problems with the 2023 Honda Civic e:HEV LX has seen it called back to dealerships for an electronic control unit (ECU) software update, free of charge.

A recall notice was issued in May 2023 after it was found that the ECU can be reset when the Civic hybrid switches to electric drive.

This will erase stored vehicle fault codes and turn off the ‘check engine’ warning light if it’s activated, which isn’t good if there’s a problem – for you as the driver, but also for Honda service personnel if the failure codes are erased and the issue can’t be accurately diagnosed.

One of Honda’s genuine accessory options on the new Civic – tinting applied to the front door windows – has also prompted a recall from the regulatory authorities for being too dark and reducing visibility.

We’ll go into more detail in future updates on what it’s like to live with the 2023 Honda Civic e:HEV LX over an extended period, battling city traffic and taking long tours, but early drive impressions support our positive review from the hybrid’s launch in December last year.

Key specs for this hybrid version of the 11th-generation Honda Civic include the use of a MacPherson strut front and a multi-link rear suspension, dual-pinion ‘motion adaptive’ electric power steering and 293/282mm front/rear disc brakes (+11/22mm on e:HEV compared to VTi-LX). The turning circle is 11.4m.

There are four drive modes in the e:HEV – Eco, Normal, Sport and Individual, the latter unique to the hybrid and allowing the driver to choose from the first three for powertrain characteristics, and between Normal and Sport for steering feel and instrumental panel display.

A high equipment list usually translates to an appealing cabin environment, but the beauty of a long-term test is what you’re left with when the wow factor wears off.

As we’ve mentioned already, the 2023 Civic e:HEV LX has some niggling equipment omissions and excessive seat heating that will melt your tub of ice-cream if you plonk it on the front passenger’s seat without reaching over to turn the system off.

We’ll dive into everyday functionality and practicality with our updates, but can report that the build quality is excellent and the cabin pretty classy overall.

It’s not super-roomy, but a cosseting space for four adult occupants (not having tried to fit three across the rear bench) that have drawn no complaints so far.

The hybrid drive system reduces boot space, leaving 409 litres with the rear seats upright compared to 449L in the turbo-petrol Civic VTi-LX. Honda says that’s all to do with underfloor storage, with 5L in the e:HEV compared to 45L in the VTi-LX (leaving 404L above the floor on both), while capacity extends to 814L for both models with the 60/40-split rear seats folded.

That’s based on loading up to the window line; Honda reckons there’s 1187L available if you want to cram stuff in up to the roof with the seats down.

There is no room allocated for a spare wheel in either the hybrid or the non-hybrid. Just a tyre repair kit (compressor and sealant).

On the face of it, the 2023 Honda Civic e:HEV LX is an enticing proposition if you’re in the market for a stylish, sporty, comfortable, economical premium small car.

But we’re not delivering the verdict just yet.

We have many more miles to travel, passengers to load in, numbers to crunch and time to reflect on whether the new Civic hybrid is really worth it.

2023 Honda Civic e:HEV LX at a glance:
Price: $55,000 (drive-away)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric
Combined output: 135kW/315Nm
Transmission: Continuously variable automatic
Fuel: 4.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 96g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (Euro NCAP 2022)