Experiencing the Ride – Honda Civic (10th Generation)

Last weekend, a few blogger and I were invited to test drive the 2016 Honda Civic. The Honda Civic, which is also known as the FC was launched in Malaysia back in June looks bolder and offers a different engine variant compared to the previous Honda Civic.

Posing with 1.8L i-VTEC Honda Civic in Crystal Black Pearl
It was a 2 days 1 night programme and we gathered at the meeting point in Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral Hotel for some breakfast, product presentation and drive briefing. In our day 1 itinerary, we will be heading first to Kah Motor Selayang (Service Center Tour) after the flag off.

Welcome note, product briefing and drive briefing done by the Honda team
After the tour, we will then headed to Mutiara Damansara for lunch before heading to Setia City Convention Centre car park for VSA / Gymkhana (motor testing) activity, walkabout on Honda Civic design and sportiness and also comparison with other vehicle brand under the same C-segment.

Flagging off the Honda Civic test drive convoy
There were in total of 5 Honda Civic in the convoy with 2 Honda HRV as lead car and 1 Honda City functioning as the sweeper car.

Honda Civic convoy heading to Kah Motor in Selayang
Kah Motor Selayang is one of the largest Honda 3S Center in Malaysia. As one of the largest 3S and first to take up the new C.I., Kah Motor Selayang promotes the usage of low energy lighting and water conservation that’s in line with Honda’s environmental efforts.



At the picture above, 4 Honda Civic were seen in 4 different colour variant out of 5 that are currently offered in our Malaysia market. From left: Dark Ruby Red Pearl, Lunar Silver Metallic, White Orchid Pearl and Crystal Black Pearl. The missing colour is the Modern Steel Metallic.



We were showed by the Honda staff at the service center on the steps if we send our Honda Civic for a routine service. There's a check list where Honda staff need to follow when inspecting the vehicle and they will also cover the driver seat and steering wheel to prevent it from becoming dirty during the service.



Other than the design of the vehicle, the major difference between the current Honda Civic with the previous model is the engine. The new model offers an All-New Civic 1.5L VTEC Turbocharged that replaces the 2.0 i-VTEC engine. The turbo that was seen at the front of the engine bay does not require a special maintenance compared to the turbo engine in the market.

The All-New Civic 1.5L VTEC Turbocharged variant is equipped with a smart monitoring system, giving peace of mind in maintaining the efficiency of the engine performance. This feature will indicate the timing of oil change and notify customers with an indication lamp on the speedometer on their service status. At 88 Honda dealers nationwide, customers can enjoy 5 years warranty with unlimited mileage with a service interval of 10,000km.



Every inspection and servicing were done properly by their trained technicians by using the best tools such as the DST-i diagnostic tool to detect problems which may not be apparent at first and a torque wrench that can produce precise torque to a fastener such as a nut or bolt to prevent from over-tightening it.

After the tour around the service center, it was finally my turn to drive the Honda Civic.



The experience is very different than many C-Segment car which I have driven before. It felt a lot different to compared to the previous Honda Civic. The cabin space is really big with adequate head and leg room for my height (+-180cm). In terms of power, it is more refined and definitely better during pick up speed.



We had lunch at Closer Kitchen and Espresso Bar located at Mutiara Damansara. The place looks pretty nice to chill at and to have brunch with family and friends. It's funny that this cafe is just located right behind my workplace and I didn't realized it until that day.



I ordered my all time favorite hot chocolate since I can't take coffee these days due to the aftertaste. Unless I am really sleepy or need to stay awake until 3am, I tried not to have coffee in the afternoon.



My all day XL Breakfast with scrambled egg, bratwurst chicken sausage, smoked duck, saulteed mushroom, hash brown, toast and homemade provencale sauce. The portion was big and it taste good but some of them were slightly too oily but other than that, it's perfect for me.



I finished off my lunch with their must try dessert, the gula melaka banana cake and rose & lychee crush cake. The gula melaka banana cake was really really good and I am craving for it at the time of writing this blog post.


After the scrumptious lunch, we headed to Setia City Convention Centre car park for VSA / Gymkhana (motor testing) activity, walkabout on Honda Civic design and sportiness and also comparison with other vehicle brand. The car were driven by the experts and we sat at the passenger seats to experience one of the main safety feature in Honda Civic which is the Vehicle Stability Assist. The driver did a jammed break and quick maneuver with the VSA on at the beginning and then turning it off during the second time. The difference was indeed obvious and after the experience, I do not feel safe anymore to sit in a vehicle without VSA.



The All-New Civic offers “Advanced Interface” via its 7” Advanced Display Audio which appeals to the new generation. It is completely redesigned to be the most convenient and connected Civic ever. Some of these features which are also Civics’ first include: 

Remote Engine Start
Walk Away Auto Lock
Electric Parking Brake 
Auto Brake Hold

The unseen but crucially important aspect which is safety is not forgotten by Honda. 
All variants of the All-New Civic are equipped with top class safety features:

6 Airbags (Dual Front Airbags, Side Curtain Airbags, and Side Airbags) 
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) 
Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)
Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD)
Brake Assist (BA)
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
Emergency Stop Signal (ESS)
ISOFIX 



I really like the center compartment which can store a lot of items as seen at the picture above. It also comes with an USB port for charging purposes. The back passenger seat also comes with 2 air-con vent and the leg room is just as good as the driver's seat.


After that, we left and head back to Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral Hotel to check in and to rest before the dinner. I manage to drive the Honda Civic 1.5L VTEC Turbocharged variant back and it was a pleasurable experience. Catching up with the convoy is not a problem anymore with the effortless acceleration and at the same time good stability at the corners.


It was my first time staying in Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral Hotel and it gave me a young and vibrant impression to me without compromising the size of the hotel rooms and various hotel services.



A row of cute artwork of the world famous rockers. By the way they are for sale for RM1000 a piece.


Each of us were given a king sized bedroom. It was so spacious and comfortable to stay in.



The sink, bathroom and toilet are separated unlike the conventional hotel rooms.


While the rest were resting, I headed up to the rooftop swimming pool with a few bloggers to have a quick swim while the sun was setting.



Thank you Rawlins for the awesome under water shot! :D


After our dinner at Warisan Nasi Kukus Ayam Berempah in Nu Sentral, we to check out the LED headlights of the Honda Civic. The headlights can project to a good distance and it consumes less energy and can last longer too compared to the halogen headlights.



Day 2, we had our buffet breakfast at the hotel restaurant  – Nook, before checking out of the hotel.



The stylish table and seats took my attention. Haha..


One of their recommended dish, Sarawak Laksa. It was almost authentic but anyway, it does taste good.



After breakfast, we took a ride up to Bentong via Karak highway to test the stability of the car during cornering. I manage to maintain the speed at 120km/hr on a sharp corner. That's how stable the Honda Civic is.



We had our lunch at The Garage KL. The exterior and interior of the place is really special.



The owner of this place must be a big fan of Star Wars, cars, music and vintage items to come up with the design.


Our appetizers before our main dish.


I ordered the ribeye steak and the portion was pretty big. The steak was slightly overcooked than what I have requested for.


One of my favorite drink, ice blended green tea! :D


Nuttela cheese cake for dessert! :D

A group photo at The Garage KL
After lunch, we drove to Putrajaya for the flyboarding activity.



After a good 35-40 minutes drive, we finally reached Flyboard Malaysia at Jalan P5/5, Presint 1, Putrajaya.



Safety briefing and how to operate the flyboard by Raja Aris of Flyboard Malaysia.



Flyboarding action by the staff. Looks really cool!



That's me in action. Flyboarding is an interesting activity where we can experience to be Iron Man but it's not easy at all. The flyboard weights 5kg and it requires a lot of balancing skill and stamina at the same time. I don't mind to go back there again for the flyboarding.



Other than flyboarding, there's also stand up paddle activity which is also fun and challenging.

A group shot of the bloggers at Pullman Putrajaya Lake
Overall, the 2016 Honda Civic is impressive. In terms of performance and style, it's definitely one of the best in its segment. Anyway, I am sure you be interested to know how much the 2016 Honda Civic is. I have included the price list as below:-

RM113,800 for 1.8S (On-the-road with insurance)
RM127,800 for 1.5 Turbocharged (On-the-road with insurance)
RM135,800 for 1.5 Turbocharged Premium (On-the-road with insurance)

There will be an additional of RM300 for the White Orchid Pearl colour.

For more information on the All-New Civic, you can visit any Honda dealer, you can also call Honda’s Toll Free number at 1-800-88-2020 or log on to www.honda.com.my or www.ridethedream.my to discover more about the exciting features of the All-New Civic.  


.: Peace Out :.

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