IT WAS inside latest reminiscence that Honda’s showroom was virtually bursting with hybrid product. From the Jazz to the NSX, with the Civic, Perception and Accord in between, Honda was the one viable various to Toyota when it got here to petrol-electric choices.
Suffice it to say, Honda was maybe just a little too far forward of its time. Its hybrid choices went unloved, arriving effectively earlier than public urge for food for petrol-electrics began to soar.
The local weather is completely different now although, and following on from the arrival of the hybrid HR-V earlier this yr, Honda now has one other electron-enhanced mannequin to place in entrance of its prospects: the Civic e:HEV LX.
Nonetheless, identical to the present Civic VTi LX that it’s based mostly upon, the e:HEV variant is obtainable in only a single highly-featured trim. It’s additionally an expensive factor, promoting for $55,000 drive-away below Honda Australia’s nationwide fixed-pricing scheme.
Contemplating its chief rival, the Toyota Corolla hybrid, retails for $37,620 in top-spec ZR hatch kind, the Honda’s price ticket is undoubtedly a handicap.
Subtracting scorching hatches like Volkswagen’s Golf R and the Renault Megane RS from the value desk leaves the Civic e:HEV LX as the most costly small hatchback within the mainstream section, and you may get your self right into a BMW or Audi for much less – to not point out Nissan’s eco-warrior Leaf EV, which retails for $50,990.
However can its capabilities offset its asking value? Extra importantly, does the Civic e:HEV LX provide sufficient to justify its value premium in comparison with the non-hybrid Civic VTi LX, which sells for a relatively affordable $47,200?
The variations between the 2, apart from their powertrains and the $7800 gulf that separates them, are largely troublesome to select.
The e:HEV has a single exhaust tip fairly than a twin outlet muffler, a black grille, white fairly pink footwell illumination, extendable sunvisors, auto up/down home windows for all 4 doorways fairly than simply the entrance two, energy lumbar adjustment for the entrance seats, a heated steering wheel, a second coat hook, all-black leather-based upholstery and a map pocket on the rear of each entrance seats, fairly than simply the passenger aspect. Small particulars, by and huge.
There are different hidden benefits to the e:HEV over the common Civic VTi LX although – its lively security suite is bolstered by the addition of site visitors signal recognition and a pace limiter perform, with passive security getting a lift from a centre airbag between the entrance seats and devoted aspect airbags for the rear seats, augmenting the usual head-level ‘baggage throughout a aspect affect and giving these within the second row the identical stage of airbag safety as these within the entrance.
Nonetheless, there are simply three main variations that can be instantly noticeable by drivers altering up from an everyday Civic VTi LX: the push-button shifter quadrant, the panoramic glass sunroof that extends over a lot of the cabin, and the availability of entrance and rear parking sensors as standard-fit.
Whereas there are arguably sufficient additional quality-of-life options to justify the appreciable premium hooked up to the e:HEV, the reality is that the majority of them will go missed and unappreciated by tyre-kickers.
However whereas there are features elsewhere, there’s additionally a sacrifice in cargo capability – although you wouldn’t know until you lifted the boot flooring. There, fairly than a shallow 45-litre storage space, the e:HEV as a substitute mounts battery and energy administration elements, trimming 40 litres off whole cargo house to carry the e:HEV right down to a still-useful 409 litres. The gasoline tank can be truncated, shedding seven litres of quantity to retailer solely 40 litres of petrol.
Past all the above, the remainder of the Civic e:HEV expertise is near-identical to that of its non-hybrid sibling. The match and end continues to be very good, the cabin presentation is crisp and extremely practical, the driving place is low-slung and sport and the rear seat lodging is roomy is nearly each dimension apart from maybe headroom.
The characteristic set is generally the identical bar the aforementioned additions, and there’s nothing concerning the hybrid Civic’s presentation that makes you conscious that that is the eco-minded mannequin. Even the e:HEV badge on the tailgate is summary, and a few might desire the truth that the Civic e:HEV doesn’t shout about its positioning because the ‘tree-hugger’ of the vary.
