There are many reasons for a person to like a car – be it looks, power, driving feel, functionality, or even social status. It doesn’t have to be a unique or popular reason, as long as it’s your reason for liking your car – I mean, it’s written in my byline for a reason.
With that being said, it’s really rare for us to be truly enamoured by a car these days. But with the all-new 2022 Honda Civic, we found ourselves smiling every time we get a chance to drive one. And the reason? Well, for us anyway, it’s just how effortless everything feels.
It’s effortless in its drive, with the uprated 1.5-litre turbocharged inline-four engine now making 182 hp and 240 Nm – or 9 hp and 20 Nm more than before. It’s not a huge increase, mind you, but in actual driving circumstances, it’s definitely noticeable.
Power builds up fast but still gentle, which makes overtaking on the highways a breeze; the engine never once felt strained during our four-hour drive to Penang. But more substantially for us, was how well-tuned the CVT gearbox is on the all-new Civic.
ALSO READ: It’s not “just tuning”, here’s how the all-new Honda Civic Turbo became more powerful
For the most part, the CVT actually behaves mostly like an automatic. The gearshift paddles behind the steering wheels work almost instantaneously just like in an automatic car, and in sports mode, the gearbox even downshifts a (virtual) gear or two by itself under heavy braking, mimicking the slushboxes to help slow down your car with engine braking.
And when you pair that to a handling feel that can genuinely rival a BMW 3 Series, driving the all-new Honda Civic just brings out so much joy, no matter on the highway, or through the twisty back roads.
Complementing the Civic’s driving proficiency, is how effortless it is to live in one. Comfort has been significantly upgraded on the all-new model, particularly in terms of noise within the cabin thanks to additional spray foam and insulation. And in normal driving conditions, or at least under the national speed limit, it really is a night and day difference when compared to the previous-generation model.
But it’s also how the car rides over humps and the usual uneven surfaces of Malaysian roads. The all-new Civic never felt uneasy over the undulations while driving on the highways, and in city streets, most of the road imperfections are perfectly soaked up by the pliant but confident suspension set-up – even with the 18-inch wheels and Michelin PS4 tyres.
While the looks might not necessarily be everyone’s cup of tea, the rest of the car really does offer a little bit of everything for you to find your own reason to like it. And when you add all of those up, the all-new 2022 Honda Civic might just be the best all-rounder package available in the segment, at least for now.
Be sure to watch the video above to see what else we discovered during our media trip to Penang with the all-new Civic!
