Honda Australia’s third new-generation hybrid car is approaching its Australian launch, with government documents confirming local specifications for the electrified Civic – expected to cost $50,000 drive-away.
The 2023 Honda Civic hybrid is one step closer to launching in Australia, with government documentation confirming local details of the hybrid hatchback.
Revealed in March, the Civic e:HEV is set to become the first electrified Civic since 2015, and Honda Australia’s third new-generation hybrid when it arrives in showrooms alongside the HR-V small SUV and Accord sedan.
Honda Australia has previously indicated the Civic e:HEV is due to launch in the second half of 2022. Drive has contacted the company to confirm the model is still on track to arrive by the end of the year.
Pricing is yet to be confirmed, but given the standard petrol Civic costs $47,200 drive-away, the hybrid is estimated to be priced from about $50,000 drive-away.
Documentation listed on the Australian Government’s website for motor vehicle compliance all but confirms performance specifications for local Civic hybrids will be identical to their overseas counterparts.
The hybrid Honda Civic is powered by a detuned version of the Accord’s 2.0-litre non-turbo petrol hybrid system, producing 135kW and 315Nm, mated to a continuously-variable automatic transmission (CVT) which drives the front wheels.
While this is 23kW less than the Accord hybrid, the electrified Civic produces 1kW more than the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol Civic VTi LX (134kW/240Nm on premium petrol), the sole variant currently available in Australia.
The Honda Civic e:HEV’s dual electric motors perform two different functions – while one motor directly powers the front wheels (with or without the engine), the second motor is coupled to the engine and acts as a ‘generator’, charging the car’s lithium-ion battery.
As previously reported, Honda has quoted a “targeted” combined fuel consumption claim of less than five litres per 100 kilometres for the hybrid Civic on the European WLTP test cycle.
In Australia, the petrol-only Honda Civic claims 6.3L/100km on more lenient ADR test standards.
According to government documents, the Honda Civic e:HEV weighs 1478kg – 132kg more than the non-electrified Civic – and has a higher gross vehicle mass (GVM) than the petrol-only model, 1980kg compared to 1840kg.
To account for the extra weight, the Honda Civic e:HEV’s brake rotors are larger than the turbocharged petrol model, measuring 293mm at the front and 282mm at the rear – compared to the respective 282mm and 260mm discs on the VTi LX.
The hybrid Honda Civic is fitted with 18-inch wheels and is expected to retain the standard car’s suite of active safety equipment, which includes autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic jam assist and driver attention alert.
Honda Australia is yet to announce local pricing for the Civic e:HEV – although based on the petrol-only Civic VTi LX’s $47,200 drive-away price, the hybrid hatchback could cost at least $50,000 drive-away.
The cheapest hybrid car on sale in Australia is the Toyota Yaris Cross GX front-wheel drive, priced from $28,990 plus on-road costs.
In the UK, the Civic e:HEV is available in three specification grades, with drive-away prices ranging from £29,595 ($AU52,100) to £32,595 ($AU57,400) – however this includes a higher tax of 20 per cent VAT, rather than the 10 per cent GST in Australia.
The new-generation Honda HR-V has also been split into two model grades in Australia, with the $47,000 drive-away HR-V e:HEV L hybrid incurring a $10,300 premium compared to the petrol-only Vi X ($36,700).
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