2019 Honda Civic: Which variant should you buy?

The 10th-generation Honda Civic is available in five variants. But which is the one that’s worth buying?

Published On Mar 13, 2019 02:07:00 PM

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2019 Honda Civic: Which variant should you buy?

The prices of the Honda Civic have been revealed, and while the petrol automatic is competitively priced compared to the Skoda Octavia, Hyundai Elantra and Toyota Corolla Altis, the diesel-manual Civic is the priciest amongst its competitors. With a total of five variants and two engine options, we pick the best from the range.

What are the engines on offer?

Honda has made the Civic available with two engines – a 1.8-litre naturally aspirated petrol and a 1.6-litre diesel. The petrol motor makes 141hp and 174Nm of torque, but is mated to only a CVT (automatic). The diesel produces 120hp and 300Nm of torque, and is mated to only a 6-speed manual transmission.

The diesel-manual commands a Rs 1.30 lakh price premium over the petrol automatic, which isn’t justified, making the latter the default choice. Sure, the diesel will be more fuel efficient, but the petrol brings the convenience of an automatic which buyers in this segment are looking for.

What are the variants on offer?

The petrol CVT comes in three variants – V, VX and ZX, while the diesel MT is available only with the latter two.

The V CVT is the base variant but is well equipped with safety features like four airbags (front and front-sides), hill-start assist, ABS with EBD, brake assist, ESP, reverse camera and parking sensors. Then, it gets projector headlamps with DRLs, LED tail-lamps, 16-inch diamond-cut alloys, front fog lamps, Bluetooth audio system with four speakers and steering controls, paddleshifters, electronic handbrake, keyless entry and go, electric folding outside mirrors, rear AC vents and tilt and telescopic steering adjustment among others.

Costing Rs 1.50 lakh over the V CVT is the VX CVT – the entry-level variant in the diesel range. In addition to the features on the V, this variant gets a multi-view reverse camera, leather upholstery, leather-wrapped steering, 8-way powered driver’s seat, touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, eight speakers, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, auto-dimming inside mirror, ambient lighting and a digital coloured MID, plus some more.

The ZX variant sits above the VX at a premium of Rs 1.80 lakh. It gets features including auto full-LED headlamps, LED fog lamps, 17-inch alloys, a sunroof, lane-watch camera, rain-sensing wipers and curtain airbags, among others.

Which is the variant to buy?

As mentioned, nice and efficient as the diesel engine Civic is, it’s not the one we’d pick. The petrol engine is more in keeping with the Civic’s sporty personality. Of the petrol trims, the V is appealing for its price and also gets more than the basics talking features. However, it also misses on many convenience features that you’d expect on a car of this segment. The mid-spec VX adds more frills for sensible money and is the value choice for buyers. However, all things considered, the top-spec Civic ZX is the one to buy. It is expensive but it comes with all the features you’d want. For some, the electric sunroof and the larger 17-inch alloy wheels are a good enough draw to stretch their budget to the ZX.

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