Honda makes a belated but much welcome return to the ‘warm’ hatch segment with the new 173bhp Civic Turbo Hatchback

UPDATE: We’ve driven the new Honda Civic Hatchback. Is it a worthy successor to the frezied 90s-era Civics?

SINGAPORE – Authorised Honda dealer/distributor Kah Motor has announced pricing and availability for the hatchback version of the latest Honda Civic. The tenth-generation Civic sedan was launched in Singapore in August, 2016 with the entry-level 1.6-litre and range-topping 1.5-litre turbo models on the roster.

The five-door hatchback model, which debuted in the UK, Europe and the USA earlier this year, will be offered for Singapore solely with the 173bhp, 1.5-litre turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine choice identical to the one found in the Civic 1.5 Turbo sedan.

The power and torque figures are identical, with 170hp and 220Nm of torque, but the hatchback is quicker in a straight line with a 0-100km/h time of 8.4 seconds, or 0.2 seconds quicker than the sedan, although the kerb weight of both cars is very close at 1,322kg for the hatch and 2kg more for the sedan.

Naturally, the four-door is longer and lower: by 115mm and 18mm respectively, with the hatchback being 4,515mm long and 1,434mm tall, though both have the same 1,799mm width and 2,700mm wheelbase.

Rear seat passengers get an additional 7.6mm headroom, although the legroom has been reduced by 35mm, this shouldn’t be a problem given the Civic sedan’s massive space.

The sedan offers more boot space, at 519-litres, the new hatchback comes with 478-litres boot space, although a larger loading aperture will make fitting certain items easier, and the rear seats fold down completely for 1,308-litres, so the hatch will make a better choice for those who have to carry long or bulky objects.

The key difference between the two is appearance, though: The hatchback with its much wider, unblocked front and rear intakes and aggressive spoiler, looks much closer to the new Civic Type R than the sedan does.

Otherwise, the equipment loadout for the sedan and hatch is very similar, with a reverse camera, smart entry and start, 7.0-inch touchscreen Display Audio system, powered front seats, LED headlights and taillights and so on.

Priced at $141,999 with COE, the hatchback is a good $13k more expensive than the sedan, which now retails for $128,999 with COE, so it seems that the hatch is aimed at enthusiasts or those who’ve always wanted a modern incarnation of the non-Type R iconic Honda hatches like the EG or EK. The last Civic hatchback sold in Singapore officially was the UK-made, eight-gen FN2 Type R in 2007, and the last ‘regular’ Civic hatch was the sixth-generation EK , from 1998.

Other markets get the new 1.0-litre turbocharged inline three-cylinder engine, which would have been a Category A friendly 127bhp model and made life very difficult for the current semi-premium hatch class leader, the Volkswagen Golf, but Singapore will miss out on that model. The other impending addition to the Civic hatchback range is the wildest, most-powerful Civic yet, the new Type R, which is only made in five-door body style. The 320bhp monster has already gained bragging rights as the fastest front-wheel drive production car on the Nurburgring, and it should cost just under $200k with COE when it comes to Singapore later this year.

READ MORE
We’ve driven the new Honda Civic Type R! Read our verdict on the new king of hot hatches here!

Is the Civic Hatchback Turbo a cut-price Type R?