Honda Civic

Changes to the 2020 Honda Civic are more evident inside, beginning with the dashboard, which now displays a higher placement. The infotainment system also loses the sliding volume controls in favor of more user-friendly buttons. The lower half of the cabin carries a two-tone finish of piano black and dark grey, while the headboard is a completely lighter shade of grey. Considered as one of the more stylish interiors in its segment, the Honda Civic cabin offers plenty of smart creature comforts including rear-seat armrest, 12-volt accessory socket, and automatic air conditioning, among many other accouterments. Infotainment is handled by a 7-inch touch screen advanced display audio with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and navigation functions.

When Honda kicked off the Civic’s tenth generation during the 2016 model year, it was a complete departure from the previous generation, with major changes including the introduction of the Solid Wing Face fascia, and more pronounced side creases. The tailgate also received a few huge tweaks, beginning with the bracket-shaped taillights that bookend the trunk lid. As part of the tenth generation, the 2020 edition doesn’t deviate too much from its generation’s early iterations, with the fog lamp housing and additional chrome highlights on certain trims marking the biggest changes for the exterior from the year before. As well, the 2020 Civic’s external measurements remain the same as the 2019 version at 4649 mm long, 1799 mm wide, and 1416 mm tall, with a ground clearance of 133 mm.

Running on MacPherson struts with stabilizer at the front and a multi-link system at the rear, the Civic’s ride and handling is impeccable, as its suspension system is inarguably aided by the perfectly complementing 2,698 mm wheelbase. Fitting, since Honda has repeatedly bragged that the latest Civic is their most composed version of the car to date.

Under the hood of the 2020 Honda Civic is the same 1.8-liter i-VTEC inline-4 engine that’s good for 139 hp and 174 Nm of torque. As is, these numbers enough make the current Civic one of the more powerful units in its category. But the numbers get even more remarkable once you move to the 1.5-liter Earth Dreams VTEC Turbo, which can drop 171 hp and 220 Nm. Both engines are mated to a CVT which is a sturdy performer on flat and open roads, but has a bit of trouble overcoming steep inclines. Given this issue, it would have been nice to have the Civic come in manual, but there’s nary that option insight.

The Honda Civic is brought to a complete halt by ventilated discs at the front and solid discs at the back. An auto brake hold feature helps keep the car stationary without the driver stepping on the brake pedal continuously—a great safety feature to have especially for those who often park on uphill terrain. A hill start assist system further adds reliability in such situations. As for the rest of the Civic’s safety and security measures, these include vehicle stability assist, G-CON body structure, ABS with EBD, and a multi-view reverse camera with dynamic guidelines.

The Honda Civic is the current top seller in its segment. Though it gets some tough competition from the likes of the Subaru Impreza, Kia Stinger, and Mazda3, there’s simply no questioning the Civic’s history and heritage. With three trims to choose from (1.8 S CVT, 1.8 E CVT, and RS Turbo CVT) and priced from PHP 1,115,000 to PHP 1,608,000, buying the Honda Civic is an easy choice to make. Of course, those looking for more power and precision can always go for the Honda Civic Type R version.