10/08/2025

theSunday Special XIV ON SUNDAY AUG 10, 2025

The hybrid powertrains in the Civic and CR-V may seem the same but are quite different.

The Honda CRV e:HEV RS is Malaysia’s flagship model and one of the most efficient in the market.

A range of close to 700km in a Honda hybrid vehicle is quite normal.

The interiors of the Civic and CR-V e:HEV RS are largely the same.

manage up to 750kg of braked towing, that means a trailer with a braking system. Or up to 600kg without a braking system. What about the cars themselves? Since we only drove the Civic and the CR-V, we will focus on that. The CR-V e:HEV RS is the flagship Honda for the Malaysian market, and it feels like it too. It offers a spacious cabin with the 12 speaker BOSE sound system being the jewel of the interior. It is rare for a car of this price range to come with a BOSE sound system, so credit to Honda Malaysia for managing that. Besides being spacious, the interior of the CR-V hybrid is one that is incredibly refined – achieved through a combina tion of technologies such as double glazed windows, noise cancelling technol ogy and even sound resonator wheels. All this works in unison to keep the interior incredibly quiet and refined even at highways speed. The CR-V is powered by a 2.0-litre, naturally-aspirated, Atkinson Cycle engine with electric motors. It produces a combined system output of 244PS and 335Nm of torque. As for performance, it has a top speed of 187kph and accelerates to 100kph in just nine seconds. The Civic on the other hand feels a lot sportier. Perhaps it is because you sit closer to the ground, and this makes the entire experience feel a lot more purpose ful. The new Civic has grown substantially and this translates to a roomier interior.

But we recently took a Honda Civic and Honda CR-V on a drive to Penang to understand how they work, and there is one thing that surprised us. As similar as the systems are, the hybrid technologies in the Civic and the CR-V are quite different. With Honda’s hybrid technology, there is no gearbox in the traditional sense. Instead, the wheels are powered via the electric motors and by the engine at high speed, through a lock-up clutch. So even though Honda’s specification sheets say there is an e-CVT transmis sion, the reality is that there are no gear shifts happening underneath the car. So what is that sound of gears shifting when you drive the car, you might ask? Well, that is purposefully engineered and piped into the cabin through the speak ers. In essence, the sound is artificially aug mented for your driving pleasure, and it sounds real good too. But that is not to say there are no gears whatsoever, and therein lays the key dif ference between the Civic and the CR-V. The Civic only has one high gear that drives the wheels at all times. The CR-V on the other hand has a high gear and a low gear. The reason why the CR-V has a low gear is that in some markets, towing capability is essential. And that is what the low gear is for – towing. Whether it is towing a jet ski or a motorcycle, the fact of the matter is, the CR-V is built to handle it. As for towing capacity, the CR-V can

The two cars share similar dashboards but the seats on the Civic e:HEV RS are wrapped in a combination of half leather and suede like material. This writer personally prefers the leather seats on the Civic V-Spec because it offers more padding and as such feels more comfortable. The seats on the RS feel sportier in comparison. Perhaps age may be a factor. The Civic does not have as much sound dampening tech as the CR-V, as such you hear more of the world outside. As for the powertrain, the Civic is also powered by a 2.0-litre, naturally-aspi rated, Atkinson Cycle engine mated to an electric motor. With 235PS and 315Nm of torque, the Civic sees off the charge to 100kph in 7.9 seconds and tops out at 180kph. But where the Civic lacks power, it makes up for in efficiency. The Civic needs just four-litres of fuel to travel 100km while the CR-V needs five-litres. Final words In a world where new car brands are emerging faster than ever, legacy car makers like Honda are important because of their engineering prowess. The hybrid technologies of both the Honda CR-V and the Civic are undenia bly impressive. Not only efficient, but power for both models are also available from near standstill. It is this ability to provide technology to suit everyday life that sets Honda apart from the rest. There is no doubt that some company

will soon reverse engineer Honda’s tech and call it their own with clever acronyms and such. But Honda has been building and rebuilding since 1999 with the Honda Insight and its hybrid powertrain called the Integrated Motor Assist. It is no wonder that Honda Malaysia has shifted over 60,000 hybrid cars in Malaysia alone. So, if it’s a reliable, powerful yet effi cient powertrain that you want, then the Honda Civic and the CR-V are worth a good hard look. This is a company that innovates and not just reverse engineers. Specifications: 0 Honda Civic e:HEV RS Engine: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, natu rally-aspirated, Atkinson-Cycle Power: 105PS @ 6,000rpm (Engine) / 135PS @ 5,000rpm (Motor) Torque: 189Nm @ 4500rpm / 315Nm @ 0rpm Transmission: e-CVT We like: Sporty drive, efficiency. We don’t like: Thinly padded seats. 0 Honda CR-V e:HEV RS Engine: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, natu rally-aspirated, Atkinson Cycle Power: 109PS @ 6100rpm (Engine) / 184PS @ 5000rpm (Motor) Torque: 190Nm @ 4500rpm (Engine) / 335Nm @ 0rpm Transmission: e-CVT We like: Efficiency, spacious interior, refinement. We don’t like: Needs blind spot moni toring and a 360° camera.