Road test review: Honda Civic RS Sport Sensing hatch

Tuesday, 18 February 2020

**HONDA CIVIC RS SPORT SENSING HATCHBACK

Base price:** $41,990

Powertrain and economy: 1.5-litre turbo-petrol inline-four, 127kW/220Nm, CVT automatic, FWD, combined economy 6.1L/100km, CO2 140g/km (source: RightCar).

It's quite large for a hatchback, which makes parking in narrow places a bit stressful. Thankfully, parking sensors dotted around the car help prevent accidental nudges.

Vital statistics: 4515mm long, 1421mm high, 2700mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 340 litres, 18-inch alloy wheels.

We like: Comprehensive safety suite, punchy turbocharged engine.

We don't like: Active cruise control doesn't slow to the set speed when coasting downhill, CVT gearbox just okay.

The Honda Civic RS Sport Hatchback is back after a brief hiatus with Honda's Sensing safety suite. The sedan has had it for a while, now it's time for the hatchback.

You can essentially think of this as an RS Sport Sensing Sedan with a different rear end.

Right then, what's new?

On the outside, not a lot. There are a few more plastic strakes dividing the vents and grilles, the roof is more aerodynamic and there's a new rear diffuser. The twin-exit exhaust is of the sporting variety, Honda says, though it's civil enough to ferry your gran to the local farmer's market. The hatch also gets 18-inch alloys similar to that on the RS Sensing sedan. Two new colours join the options list too, Phoenix Orange Pearl and Sonic Grey Pearl.

Not visible is Honda's array of sensors, allowing for a bunch of active safety gizmos like active cruise control and lane keep assist.

* A small car with serious safety equipment makes sense

* Small hatchbacks have become sexy and alternatives as fuel prices rise

The interior is basically the same as the RS Sensing Sedan, including a digital dash and Android Auto/Apple CarPlay-enabled infotainment system.

* Say 'R' when you see the new Civic hatch, says Honda**

Interior changes include new seat trims with red stitching (on the RS Sport Sensing only), a volume control knob to replace the previous touch-based implementation and new dashboard trim inserts.

You can just think of it as the Civic RS Sport Sensing sedan in hatchback form.

So why's this one white?

Because Hondas always look better in white. But seriously, the white nicely shows off some of the trickle-down Type R exterior touches, like the piano black front and side chin splitters and the rear diffuser. It's not quite as wild (read: divisive) as the R, although it does draw a few looks. I personally quite like the design, it sets the Civic apart from the competition. Compared to the R, the front end is a bit tidier, as is the rear, obviously.

Mention which, while the boot-mounted spoiler looks good and does a good job of hinting at the RS's sporting intentions, it obscures part of the rear window. The rear view camera does a fine job of picking up the slack but some buyers might not like the reduced visibility.

Tell me about that Sensing package. What… is it?

Fair question. Honda Sensing is the brand's active safety suite, offering a flurry of advanced safety technologies. That includes active cruise control, lane keep assist, forward collision warning, road departure and lane departure mitigation, low speed follow and automatic high beams. It's pretty comprehensive.

The ones you'll use most during day-to-day driving are the active cruise control system and lane departure mitigation. These will let you set a speed for the Civic to aim for, while various systems and sensors monitor the vehicle in front to maintain a safe distance as well as maintaining its own lane position. It's not fully hands-free but it makes highway cruising less stressful. It'll work right down to walking pace too, helping ease the tedium of the commute. Set the speed to 50kmh, put on the radio and let the car do most of the work. You still need to be ready to take the wheel, so don't take the opportunity for a nap.

Honda says the exhaust system is of the sporting variety but it's still quite civil.

A few things to be aware of - the sensors up front keeping track of vehicles ahead can occasionally detect a vehicle in a flush lane and hit the brakes, thinking it's stopped in the middle of the road. However, a stab of the throttle keeps the Civic moving and we only experienced this two or three times during our week with the RS Sensing hatch.

Additionally, the cruise control system can't brake itself when coasting. Weird omission, I know, so be careful when passing speed cameras in case the Civic's velocity creeps up.

What else is there to know?

If you're familiar with the RS Sensing sedan, not really. The same 1.5-litre turbocharged engine is present and, given the sedan and the hatch weigh roughly the same, it performs identically. It's a great engine though, with boost kicking in nice and early to help off-the-line go. Honda has even convinced the engine to run on 91 octane fuel, which should help the wallet.

That initial torque is a bit of a surprise, given the RS makes do with a CVT transmission. Typically, CVTs struggle to get moving, something Toyota reckoned it solved with the addition of a physical first gear. However, this transmission does just fine on its own. Pop the transmission into S and tap away at the wheel-mounted paddles for some extra open road fun.

That said, despite how refined Honda's CVT is, a proper dual-clutch automatic opponent will come out on top any day of the week in terms of speed and driving pleasure. It is good for keeping fuel consumption down, though.

Honda has upgraded the suspension and the hatch is happy slinging around some of Auckland's back roads. Civic RS's package is not quite up to the level of the Type R but that's okay, given the R costs just under $20k more. The 235/40 R18 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber helps keep the Civic glued to the tarmac and doesn't introduce too much road noise to the cabin while cruising.

Additionally, Honda bundles all its new cars with a fully transferable five-year warranty with unlimited kilometres and 24/7 roadside assistance.

Any other cars I should consider?

If you don't mind the German styling, have a look at the Golf TSI Highline. For a sportier drive, there's also the Polo GTI, although it comes with a slightly shrunken footprint.

The new Mazda3 GTX is another option if you prefer the understated exterior with the more premium interior, although it uses a bit more fuel than the Honda.

Then there's the new Ford Focus Titanium, which costs exactly the same as the Honda with similar performance creds and, finally, consider the Hyundai i30 N Line. It costs a few grand more but offers more performance as a trade-off.

To be honest, the $40k hatchback segment is flush with quality hardware at the moment. The best buying advice we can offer is simply find the one you like the most. Just don't forget - you meet the nicest people in a Honda.