The all-new 2022 11th-generation Honda Civic will make its Thai debut on August 6th, but when can Malaysia expect to receive it?
Concurrently, Singapore is also due to be welcoming the 11th-gen 2022 Civic into showrooms there as well, soon to leave Malaysia as the odd one out, as usual. That said, there’s still no launch date set for the island nation.
To whet our appetites, it’s possible that a local preview could be in the works for later this year, months after the launch in neighbouring countries but also months ahead of a possible Malaysian premiere, hopefully with the sporty hatchback body style in tow.
In case you’re a little rusty on the details, the all-new model is 33 mm longer than its predecessor at 4,674 mm, with a wheelbase that’s extended by a substantial 36mm to 2,736 mm, surely resulting in a larger passenger cell overall with even more rear legroom. Indicating its underlying shared structure with the Civic FC here, its width at 1,801 mm and height at 1,415 mm is identical to the previous/outgoing version.
Again, compared to its predecessor, the new C-segment contender features a more rounded design that sheds the angles that defined Honda styling for the past few years, with highlights being slimmer LED headlamps with L-shaped daytime running lights, more conventionally shaped taillights, and more contoured bumpers front and rear.
Though it might sound like an extensive rethink, it retains the older Civic’s key genetic markers such as that fastback roofline that extends well past the rear axle. However, that curve is subtler and resembles the new Accord a little more.
The design evolution is carried into the interior as well with an extended silver honeycomb mesh that spans the width of the dashboard with stealthily integrated air conditioning vents behind it, much like the ‘air curtain’ design in recent Audis.
There’s also a new steering wheel and high resolution fully digital instrument display, which a significant improvement over the partially analogue cluster we had in the 10th-gen Civic. A touchscreen infotainment system – once again, Android-based – sits perched above those aforementioned central air vents and climate controls switchgear.
Honda Thailand will only reveal more details next month, just prior to the launch if not on the day itself, though a report by Thai-based Headlightmag asserts that the new Civic only features turbocharged engines with the R18Z1 1.8 litre i-VTEC naturally-aspirated four-cylinder set to be retired from the local range.
However, it should be mentioned that in North America, there’s also a 2.0-litre atmospheric engine option with 160 PS and 187 Nm, which is basically an un-turbocharged version of the Civic Type R’s motor.
We’re definitely expecting a return of the L15B7 1.5 litre VTEC Turbo powerplant from the FC, which should output the same 173 PS and 220 Nm we're used to seeing from it. Units earmarked for North America and certain European markets, however, feature the engine with a slight power bump to deliver 182 PS and 240 Nm, but it isn’t certain whether that tune will be used in the incoming Thai-spec Civic.
A more exciting prospect is a new Civic fitted with a hybrid powertrain similar to the one found in City RS e:HEV, though that’s only likely to make an international entrance in 2022 or beyond, meaning it might only arrive in our region some months or years down the road.
Either way, all petrol-powered Civics will drive the front wheels through the automaker’s Earth Dreams CVT, which has also been given an identical shift knob from the FC, which looks rather out of place next to all the new bits.
While seeing the new Civic on Malaysian roads by the end of 2021 would be a pleasant surprise, the odds are we'll have to wait until some time in 2022. That said, hopefully there will be a local preview by the year's end.
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Keyword: Honda's 11th-Gen 2022 Civic Confirmed For August 6 Thailand Launch, Malaysia When?