Honda Malaysia just handed over 425 units of the facelifted Civic 1.8 S to the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM). The C-segment sedan will be used by the police force as patrol and enforcement vehicles, and even though it’s the base model, the 1.8 S is still a reasonably fast car.
The delivery of the Civic 1.8 S to PDRM was originally planned for March, but the Movement Control Order (MCO) delayed it until now. “We are delighted that we are now able to resume the plan to deliver these new mobile patrol and enforcement vehicles which are expected to assist in the tasks and responsibilities of the police force,” said the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Honda Malaysia, Toichi Ishiyama.
As mentioned, the 1.8 S trim is the base model of the current Civic lineup. The facelift was launched back in February, and it’s powered by the familiar 1.8L SOHC i-VTEC engine. It outputs 141hp and 174Nm of torque, with drive sent to the front wheels through Honda’s Earth Dreams continuously variable transmission (CVT). Unfortunately, no paddle shifters here; only the 1.5 TC and 1.5 TC-P models get that.
Besides that, compared to the pre-facelift model, the updated Civic 1.8 S sports a number of noteworthy changes too. While it still has 16-inch alloy wheels shod with 215/55R16 tyres, it comes with a different design now. Previously, the rear seats are also fixed in place, but the facelifted model features 60:40 split-folding rear seats, giving you more boot space when you need it.
Beyond that, all facelifted models of the Civic come with automatic wipers now, along with a physical volume knob for the 7-inch infotainment system. The latter is a small addition, but still a noteworthy change that’s been asked by existing owners for quite some time now. Previously, it had touch-only volume buttons, which are not particularly intuitive to use.
Other features of the new Civic 1.8 S include Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support, halogen headlights, LED daytime running lights, fabric upholstery, six airbags, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), and Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD).
The facelifted Honda Civic is now available for purchase in Malaysia. The base 1.8 S retails at RM113,600, while the range-topping 1.5 TC-P goes for RM139,600. It’s worth noting that in the government’s recently announced Short-Term Economic Recovery Plan (PENJANA), locally assembled (CKD) cars like the Civic will get 100% sales tax exemption until the end of 2020.
Sales tax accounts for 10% of a car’s price tag, so we can expect the Civic’s pricing to be adjusted in the coming weeks. More information on the C-segment sedan can be found on Honda Malaysia’s website.