Honda Civic RS 2017 Review

What’s it all about?
Honda’s 10th generation Civic is an all-new vehicle. It's got a flashy new look outside, lots of digital goodies inside and some thoughtful design solutions to make it easy to live with on a daily basis.

In the Honda hierarchy, this vehicle is designated a small car but, in reality, the Civic could get away with being a medium-sized or family car, thanks to an abundance of rear seat room and boot space. Okay, so it's not going to replace the larger Honda Accord Euro, but an efficient use of space is always welcome.

It's reason for being? To provide Honda with an attractive alternative to the likes of the Mazda3, Toyota Corolla, Hyundai i30 and hopefully get more people into Honda dealerships. The Honda Civic Type R hero model will be a hot seller and help drive showroom traffic.

How much will it cost?
Priced at $32,290 (plus on-road costs), on paper the Honda Civic RS hatch is not the cheapest Asian athlete. Even the entry-level Honda Civic VTi ($22,390 plus on-road costs) is a bit more than its rivals, but don’t forget all Civics come with an automatic transmission as standard – which for other brands adds a couple of grand to the price – so the Honda is essentially on-par with its competitors.

The Civic RS hatch comes with a sizeable hoard of standard features, including a push-button park brake with auto-hold function, which means you don't have to stand on the brakes at the traffic lights, (which increases brake line and caliper wear – use the park brake if you can). Just tickle the accelerator pedal and it disengages.

Honda’s digital instrument display is a winner, with clear and concise information. The steering wheel controls – audio and cruise primarily – are likewise sensibly arranged.

And I love the little LED bars atop the instrument cluster which turn from white to green depending on your ‘live’ fuel economy performance. It's a great way to master efficient driving behaviour and faster to digest in your peripheral vision than a bunch of numbers in the trip computer.

Other stuff making every day driving a little easier include front and rear parking sensors, LED headlights, a multi-angle reversing camera, dual-zone automatic climate control and digital radio including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility via the touchscreen infotainment system. I particularly like the function whereby you hold the unlock button to remotely open all windows as well as the doors. All cars should have this – especially in countries like Australia where summer temps can be scorching.

Heated leather-appointed seats are a nice touch too, power adjustable for the driver, and there is a handy blind spot camera on the left side, which is triggered when you indicate left. You can also toggle it via button press.

And let’s not forget the powered sunroof and a 452-Watt 10-speaker stereo with subwoofer, not to mention a pair of USB ports and even an HDMI port.

While there are five seats, rugby or basketball players contemplating the middle rear pew might find themselves a tad squeezed.

You can pick the Honda Civic RS thanks to its sporty body kit and central-mount dual exhaust tips at the rear. All-up it looks quite striking.

Available options include a black pack (black wheels and body accents), roof racks and rear window shades.

The warranty is above average in the segment at five-years. Honda's five-year unlimited kilometre warranties came into effect on July 3, 2017. Roadside assistance is not part of the new warranty.

Capped-price servicing means Civic RS buyers will pay no more than $281 per service for the first few years. Scheduled service is due every 10,000km or 12 months.

Why should I buy it?
Well, the Honda Civic RS certainly has an eye-catching look, a responsive, efficient engine and a good blend of ride comfort and road holding.

It’s effortless to drive and, at times, satisfying. Around town the electric power steering is light and parking is straight-forward with all the ‘beepy’ sensors. The rear spoiler does partially block the view from the central mirror, but the reversing camera helps.

There's plenty of pep from the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine (127kW/220Nm), a new-generation engine from Honda which until recently thumbed its nose at turbo-petrol engines.

Throttle response is swift and although I've never been a huge fan of CVT or continuously variable transmissions (the only type available with the Civic), this one is refined, unobtrusive and doesn't drone like some.

Overtaking on the freeway is easy thanks to the long legs and flexible gearbox, but the RS badge is overplayed a bit; The Civic RS isn’t going to set any race circuit lap records.

In fact, despite the RS badge, the sporty Civic is somewhat flaccid in a dynamic sense (in fact the suspension is shared with regular Civic hatches) but ride comfort is excellent. It lolls over bumps like an ocean liner on calm seas.

Fuel consumption was decent during our test at 7.5L/100km, although that was somewhat higher than Honda’s claimed 6.1L/100km. Cruising at 100km/h on the freeway, our Civic RS sipped fuel at around 5.5L/100km.

The 414-litre boot is average in this segment, but the Civic runs a rear cargo blind which uniquely extends sideways, requiring less reaching to grasp. Yes, the Civic sedan offers a larger 517-litre boot - but the sedan doesn't have a rear windscreen wiper (the hatch does).

Honda’s interior stylists haven’t short-changed on convenient storage areas away from the boot, with deep cup holders up front, good door pockets for bottles and a large central bin which provides loads of space for life’s accoutrements.

And kudos to Honda for the Civic’s digital speedometer. It’s not common in this segment, but is easier to read and adds an upmarket look to the cabin.

However missing altogether in the Civic RS is one item any car over $30K should have – autonomous emergency braking (AEB).

The lack of AEB in the Honda Civic hatch is a concern. This system is standard or at least optional, on most rivals but the only way to get it in a Civic hatch is to buy the top-spec Civic VTi-LX, which costs $33,590 (plus on-road costs).

It's true the Honda Civic hatch has a five-star ANCAP safety rating, but this would drop to four-stars or less if retested in 2018, when AEB will be mandatory across the range for a five-star score.

Another couple of quibbles are the front USB port which is a bit hard to reach, hidden behind a storage shelf underneath the climate controls. I guess it's handy for hiding stuff and there is a second USB port under the centre armrest.

The touch-sensitive volume control on the infotainment screen takes time to adjust – a dial would have been simpler and quicker. There are steering wheel buttons which are faster.

When is it available in Australia?
On sale in Australia since February 2017, the 10th generation Honda Civic RS hatch goes head-to-head will rivals such as the Toyota Corolla, Mazda3 and Hyundai i30.

Who will it appeal to?
The new Honda Civic hatch has a broad-spectrum appeal across all age and gender groups, but the Civic RS, priced at around $32,000 (plus on-road costs), will appeal to owners who want something with a little more street presence. It's still a good city runabout and its leather seats, alloy wheels, and sporty styling will attract buyers who want to stand out from the crowd.

Where does it fit?
According to VFACTS, the body monitoring Australian new car sales, the Honda Civic RS hatch is a small car. As mentioned, it’s closer to mid-size.

It feels very spacious inside (except for the middle seat in the rear) and the boot is big enough to fit a couple of large suitcases and more.
Our own motoring recommends segmentation puts the Honda Civic hatch into the "family cars under/over $30K" category.

2017 Honda Civic RS pricing and specifications:
Price: $32,290 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 127kW/220Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed continuously variable
Fuel: 6.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 142g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

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