2019 Honda Civic Receives A Mild Makeover And A More Affordable 1.8 S Variant

First appearing in the North American market, and then making its ASEAN debut at the 2018 Bangkok Motor Expo, the refreshed Honda Civic has finally made its way into the Philippines, bringing with it updated features, styling, and a more affordable variant.

Exterior changes are minor, with a very subtle front bumper revision featuring chrome or gloss black trims on top of the foglights. The 1.5 RS Turbo and 1.8 E variants receive new alloy wheel designs, with the 1.8 E featuring 16-inch Shark Gray alloy wheels, while the 1.5 RS Turbo features 18-inch Belrina Black alloy wheels, which is the same alloy wheel design found in the high-performance Si variant exclusive to the North American market. LED headlights with LED daytime running lights, LED tail lights, come as standard on both variants, while LED foglights are only for the 1.5 RS Turbo variant.

Meanwhile, a new, more affordable 1.8 S variant features the 16-inch two-tone alloy wheels of the outgoing 1.8 E variant, as well as halogen projector headlights with LED daytime running lights and LED tail lights.

Interior changes are also very minor, with the main focus being towards the 7-inch Display Audio touch screen infotainment system, which is standard on all variants. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on all but the base 1.8 S variant. Making the infotainment system more user-friendly is the addition of physical buttons on the side of the screen, as well as a volume knob. The 1.8 E and 1.5 RS Turbo variants utilize a 7-inch fully digital instrument cluster, passive entry with push-button start, while the more affordable 1.8 S variant features an LCD and analog instrument cluster. Lastly, the 1.5 RS Turbo features aluminum sport pedals, 8-way power adjustable driver’s seat, auto dimming rear view mirror, leather seats, and ambient lighting.

Engines for the Honda Civic remain the same. The 1.5-liter inline-4 VTEC Turbo petrol engine still pushes out 173 horsepower and 220 Nm of torque. The 1.8-liter inline-4 i-VTEC petrol engine still produces 141 horsepower and 173 Nm of torque. Both engines power the front wheels via an Earth Dreams CVT.

All Civic variants are well-equipped with safety features, which include dual SRS airbags, ABS with EBD, stability control, hill start assist, emergency stop signal, and a reverse camera. Meanwhile, the 1.5 RS Turbo bumps up the airbag count to six.

The refreshed Honda Civic is now on sale across all Honda dealers nationwide with the following prices.