Honda Civic 1.5L RS Review: The Preferred RS Option For Me

While hybrids are a better choice in general, the petrol Honda Civic RS is my choice

Honda Malaysia has generously given me the Civic 1.5L RS over the weekend so I did what I always do on weekends when I have a test car, pretend I own the car and show off to all the people I know back home. Jokes aside, when I first started this job, the Honda Civic was very high on my list of cars I needed to test drive and I’m happy to report, it did not disappoint.

There are so many cars that young boys aspire to but if we’re being completely honest, the majority of these cars will be unattainable to the bulk of us, but the Civic? Now, there is a car that is both desirable and still attainable. Well, relatively at least these days but that is not a problem specific to the Civic as all cars are very expensive in Malaysia now.

This is why I was so happy when I finally had my chance to review this Honda Civic 1.5L RS, I was over the moon. In fact, while many, including myself, believe hybrids are the better option (especially since petrol prices are going up), after having driven this facelifted 11th generation C-segment sedan, I think this is the variant I would spend my money on.

Moreover, there are many reasons for this but obviously, this variant will never be able to compete with the 2.0 e:HEV RS in terms of acceleration or fuel efficiency but in most aspects, it is just as good as the hybrid and in some key ways, it is even better than its hybrid counterpart. I’ll get into all of these reasons one by one as we go along.

Design

Let’s start with something very simple. The design. The Honda Civic 1.5L RS is stunning from every angle. It is well proportioned, not too long or short and low to the ground with a handsome silhouette and curves anyone could appreciate. This was not always the case though as the pre-facelifted 11th Gen was not so well received on launch.

Yes, even I was one of the people who did not like the design of the 11th generation Civic at first as I felt it looked too “mature” compared to the 10th generation model. Affectionately dubbed the “Civic Ketam” by most Malaysians, the 10th generation was youthful, sporty and overall very desirable, and the new design grows on you over time.

Sure, it is not as overtly sporty as the previous generation, but this 11th generation Honda Civic 1.5L RS is still charming in its own way. Obviously as car prices go up, the target market for many cars will also go up in age and I can understand why someone who can actually afford this Civic now would prefer the way it looks now as opposed to before.

Luckily for the more sporty buyers, both the petrol and hybrid RS models come with a bodykit in black. This includes a spoiler on the booth along with a few other skirt and lip elements that complement the thin and sharp headlights and taillights too. This balances out the more overall sensible look of the car quite well.

On the inside, the cabin is also super well designed as the honeycomb element on the dashboard that houses the air con vents is a conversation starter for almost anyone. From “Wow, what’s that!” to “very unique ah, this air con” and everything in between, everyone who sat in the car with me truly admired the air con design.

Plus, the small details like the lights around the centre console, red footwell lamps, ambient lights and more, all make the interior look completely different when driving at night and for those of you who want to impress your date, the duality of the interior is definitely the way to go as it makes the entire vibe more romantic at night.

Not to mention the spacious and modern design of the 2025 Honda Civic 1.5L RS cabin also won over everyone I drove around including my own mother who was so comfortable sitting in the front passenger seat with no complaints whatsoever. This is honestly a huge achievement as she always had some petty complaint with every other test car I had brought home.

The rear seats are also very spacious and the rear air con vent makes sitting anywhere in the Honda Civic 1.5L RS a comfortable and premium experience. Honda’s philosophy of “man maximum, machine, minimum” is very clear in this Civic but the red stitching and leather (with cloth mixed in there) seats also add a sporty touch giving it a very balanced look.

I also prefer that the design piece under the headlights and the centre of the front lip are both in black in the Honda Civic 1.5L RS as opposed to body coloured in the hybrid variant. THis is subjective though but to be honest, it makes the car look sharper and bigger so this is the biggest reason I prefer the petrol RS variant over the hybrid counterpart.

Tech And Safety

Naturally, comfort and space mean nothing if the car itself does not meet modern standards and the facelifted 11th generation Honda Civic 1.5L RS also delivers in this regard. From the now google-built in infotainment to the full suite of Honda SENSING ADAS being available, this car is the full package.

Being the best selling C-segment sedan is truly an achievement considering that most people prefer SUVs these days but it is not hard to see why the Civic is still selling like hot cakes. While, yes, it is fairly low to the ground even by sedan standards, the Civic does not feel like it is as low to the ground as it is.

While some older people may struggle getting out of the Honda Civic 1.5L RS, while driving, it handles bumps well and actually never touched the ground once even with a full booth, 2 adults in the backseats and 2 adults up front so the suspension is very well tuned and the entire car is as solid as can be.

Aside from the obvious safety systems, Honda’s lane watch which switches to the side camera when the signal indicator is engaged is a very useful tool while driving and of course, the electronically adjusted driver seat is extremely convenient too. Auto braking, lane keep assist and cruise control all make highway driving a breeze as well without compromising on safety.

Performance

Now many were skeptical when the 10th generation Honda Civic debuted the 1.5 litre turbocharged 4 cylinder engine as we Malaysians seem to agree with the Americans that “there is no replacement for displacement.” However, modern turbocharged engines have proven themselves time and again and this is no different with the Civic.

The 2025 Honda Civic 1.5L RS is much the same. With a top speed of 200km/h and a century sprint time of around 8 seconds flat (Honda lists it as 8.5 seconds online but I consistently managed 8 on various roads), the Civic RS is more than powerful enough for the highways here. It was also very smooth.

While the 2025 Honda Civic 1.5L RS clearly can be explosive with its power, regardless of which of the 3 driving modes (Sport, Normal and Economy) one drives their car in, the power delivery is always linear and I like this. It feels more comfortable while still giving you the ability to overtake any lane hogger on the highway.

If I had one complaint, and I am nitpicking here, it is the old school CVT transmission that Honda pairs with this engine. I feel the engine itself is great but the CVT, clearly more tuned for fuel saving than anything else, makes it feel like the power of the engine is being very obviously “nerfed,” or dulled.

While this is obviously what Honda intended to do, especially since petrol is not cheap, it feels criminal that a car can so clearly show that it has the potential to be a killer on the road is being reigned in so deliberately. At the end of the day, though, it makes sense as this is a family car and not a sports coupe but still, it feels sad.

Other than that, there is nothing negative to say about the performance of the 2025 Honda Civic 1.5L RS as it is powerful but still comfortable and smooth and in all 3 driving modes, the car delivers all the power one really needs on Malaysian roads and more so in this regard I feel the acceleration of the hybrid may be excessive for some.

Value

Now, RM149,900 is not cheap, most Malaysians cannot afford that price for a car, especially younger Malaysians, but I feel that the 2025 Honda Civic 1.5L RS makes a very good case for itself. Sure you don’t get an automated tailgate but you do get the things you need like Honda SENSING, a comprehensive infotainment screen with Google built-in and a semi digital driver display too.

Plus, the reliability that Honda is famous for is the kind of peace of mind that no amount of money can buy so I personally think that the 2025 Honda Civic 1.5L RS is very fairly priced for what you get as the tech, safety, reliability, striking design and spaciousness are all worth the price and more.

Conclusion

To summarize a long review, I’ll simply say that for RM149,900, the Honda Civic 1.5L RS is actually my personal favourite variant in the entire 2025 Honda Civic lineup and while the hybrid variant would make more sense for people who regularly do long distances, for the average Malaysian, the petrol variant is the way to go, at least in my opinion.