Pricing for the new Honda Civic e:HEV hybrid hatchback was confirmed for Australia last week, with the second local variant for the current generation set to cost buyers $55,000 drive-away – but is that too much to compete with its admittedly few rivals?
Leaving out the more expensive European hybrid small cars, there’s one clear competitor that Honda will have to outclass if its pricey Civic e:HEV is going to be a success: the much cheaper and prolific Toyota Corolla Hybrid hatch.
Kicking off from $30,630 before on-road costs for a base Ascent Sport Hybrid and topping out at $37,620 for the top of the line Corolla ZR Hybrid, the five-door version of the Corolla is already more than $10,000 cheaper at its highest grade than the Civic, let alone about $20,000 at its entry point.
It’s also worth noting that Mazda’s X20 variant of the Mazda3 is a mild hybrid, and although it’s not quite as electrified as the Corolla or Civic, its upmarket nature in Astina specification could also lure Civic e:HEV buyers away – especially given its $43,190 before on-road costs starting price.
The Civic is, however, packed to the brim with features, even more so than the petrol VTi-LX variant which costs $47,200 drive-away.
The drivetrain is more powerful, with a 2.0-litre petrol engine paired with lithium-ion battery for a 135kW/315Nm total output, up from the 131kW/240Nm of the turbocharged petrol VTi-LX, and well north of the updated Corolla Hybrid’s 1.8-litre with 103kW/142Nm.
The Mazda3 X20 Astina mild hybrid is better placed to compete in the drivetrain department, with 132kW and 224Nm from its gently electrified 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine.
It’s also closer to the Civic in terms of equipment, with an 8.8-inch multimedia display and Mazda’s latest software, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, and a head-up display.
The Civic has a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, panoramic sunroof, heated steering wheel, rear USB outlets, leather-appointed heated seats, and some ambient lighting.
The cheaper Corolla scores a new multimedia system with an 8.0-inch touchscreen thanks to its update, now designed from the go to work with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with additional features like built-in sat nav. It also has updated cameras and parking sensors, and in ZR spec gains leather seats, a JBL sound system, and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.
The Corolla does have one counterpoint to its competitive price, and that’s the time it’ll take to get one.
Some customers are waiting up to a year for their new Toyotas while demand for the Civic and Mazda3 mild-hybrid are relatively low comparatively.
Will it be enough of an issue to convince buyers to spend the extra cash on a mild-hybrid Mazda or a new-gen Civic? We’ll find out as the Civic e:HEV LX rolls out to Honda-owned retail dealerships.
Keyword: Can the 2023 Honda Civic e:HEV hybrid take on the hybrid hatchback king, the Toyota Corolla?