18/01/2026

theSunday Special XIV ON SUNDAY JAN 18, 2026

1.5-litre, 4-cylinder, Turbo.

7 inch full colour LCD panel.

open roads, it provides enough urgency to make overtaking stress-free. For a bachelor’s lifestyle, daily commutes, weekend drives, occa sional long-distance trips, this bal ance is exactly right. EASY TO LIVE WITH AND ENJOY Behind the wheel, the Civic continues to impress with its com posure. Steering is light yet pre cise, the chassis feels well sorted, and the car remains stable at

For a single owner who values convenience, connectivity, and a clutter-free cabin, these upgrades meaningfully enhance the Civic’s daily usability. JUST ENOUGH, DONE RIGHT Under the bonnet, the face lifted Civic RS retains the familiar 1.5-litre turbocharged inline-four engine, producing 182PS and 240Nm of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels via a CVT with seven virtual ratios.

to be, and everything feels solidly screwed together. For someone who spends a sig nificant amount of time commut ing, running errands, or simply enjoying solo drives, the Civic’s interior strikes the right balance between comfort and restraint. In RS trim, the cabin is given a sportier edge through combina tion leather and suede seats with red stitching, alloy pedals, a black headliner, footwell lighting, and ambient lighting strips integrated into the gloss black door trims. These details elevate the expe rience without making the cabin feel boy-racer-ish, again reinforc ing the Civic RS’s appeal as a grown-up sporty sedan. A BIG STEP FORWARD One of the most significant updates in the facelifted Civic is technological rather than visual. Every variant now receives an upgraded 9-inch Advanced Display Audio system as standard, and it is here that Honda makes a bold move. For the first time among

Google built-in.

and for bachelors, the luxury of knowing the only major financial commitment in the household wears a Honda badge. For a bachelor, the Civic RS makes sense because it does eve rything well without forcing com promise. It’s stylish enough to feel spe cial, practical enough for daily life, and sporty enough to entertain when the road opens up, all with out the financial or emotional baggage of something more extreme. The facelifted 11th-generation Honda Civic 1.5L Turbo RS doesn’t reinvent the Civic, it refines it. In doing so, it cements its position as one of the most well-rounded sedans in its seg ment, particularly for single driv ers who want sophistication with out excess. It is confident without arro gance, modern without gimmicks, and sporty without trying too hard. And in a market increasingly filled with SUVs and crossovers, the Civic RS stands as a reminder that a well-executed sedan still has a powerful place in the lives of many Malaysians. For someone who wants one car to do almost everything, and do it with style, the Civic RS remains an easy recommendation. SPECIFICATIONS Engine: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder, Turbo Power: 182PS Torque: 240Nm Transmission: Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) PRICE (AS TESTED): RM149,900 We like: Performance, comfort, looks. We don’t like: No dual-zone climate control.

Mid storage compartment .

Alloy pedals.

include auto brake hold, hill start assist, driver attention monitor ing, and a multi-angle reverse camera. Honda’s LaneWatch blind-spot camera remains pre sent, mounted on the left side. Crucially, Honda Sensing is standard across the range. This includes Forward Collision Warning, Collision Mitigation Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keep Assist, Road Departure Mitigation, Adaptive Cruise Control with Low Speed Follow, Auto High Beam, and Lead Car Departure Notification. Several systems have been refined, with smoother ACC operation, more linear LKAS steering assistance, and improved FCW that now detects pedestrians and cyclists. In daily use, these enhancements make the Civic feel more natural and less intrusive. WHY IT WORKS AS A BACHELOR’S CAR At RM149,900, the facelifted Civic 1.5L Turbo RS is RM2,000 cheaper than before, strengthen ing its value proposition. It offers strong resale appeal, proven reliability, and a badge that still carries weight without attracting unwanted attention,

speed. Honda’s focus on refinement is evident in how the Civic handles uneven road surfaces and expan sion joints, particularly on Malaysian highways. The RS variant gains an Individual drive mode, allowing drivers to tailor steering and throttle response to their prefer ence. Combined with the 18-inch matte black wheels wrapped in 235/40 tyres, the Civic RS offers a planted, confident feel without sacrificing ride comfort exces sively. This is a car that encourages relaxed, confident driving rather than aggressive inputs, an approach that suits its positioning perfectly. COMPREHENSIVE & CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVED SAFETY Safety remains a strong selling point. The Civic RS comes stan dard with six airbags, front and rear seatbelt reminders, rear seat reminder, Isofix anchors, stability control, ABS with EBD, emer gency stop signal, and front and rear parking sensors. Driver assistance features

Physical climate control buttons.

On paper, these figures are unchanged, and that’s perfectly fine. This engine has always been one of the Civic’s strengths, deliv ering a broad torque band that suits both city driving and high way cruising. Acceleration from 0–100kph takes between 8.3 and 8.5 seconds, with a top speed of 200kph. No, this is not a hot hatch in sedan form. But it doesn’t pretend to be one either. Instead, the Civic RS offers brisk, effortless progress that feels responsive without being demanding. In traffic, the CVT behaves smoothly and unobtrusively. On

Japanese brands in Malaysia, the Civic now comes with Google built-in. This allows direct access to Google Maps, Google Assistant, and apps from the Play Store with out needing to rely on smartphone mirroring. In daily use, this feels intuitive, responsive, and genu inely useful, particularly for driv ers navigating Klang Valley traffic. Wireless Android Auto has also been added to complement the existing wireless Apple CarPlay, and the Civic continues to include Honda Connect telematics as well as solar and security window film tint from Ecotint across the range.