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August 16, 2021

Could Base 2022 Honda Civic Variants Use This Engine?


Consider this the ultimate acid test for the 11th generation Civic. With the all-new 2022 model already debuting in North America, Japan, and Thailand, people are starting to get a clearer picture of how the Civic will be speced for other regions, maybe including the Philippines.

So far, one of the more surprising moves for Honda surrounds its powertrain. Although the U.S. continues to get a choice between a normally-aspirated 2.0-liter and a turbo 1.5-liter, Thailand discontinued the long-serving 1.8-liter in favor of an all-turbo line-up from 2022 onward.

This certainly bodes well for the Philippine market which always had a fascination with horsepower—often a measure of how high you can piss (figuratively)—despite the horrendous daily traffic.


But what if Honda threw a curve ball? What if they could introduce yet another engine apart from the default 178-horsepower 1.5-liter we’ve seen so far? What if this particular engine could be what’s in store for buyers of the non-RS Civic?

For that, we have to look at Singapore which happened to detail their version of the all-new Civic after a lengthy tease.

It looks pretty much the same Civic we’ve already seen launched in North America and Thailand except for one little detail: the engine. The sole variant there gets 129 horsepower at 5,500 to 6,000 rpm and 180 Nm of torque from 1,700 to 4,500 rpm. These are surprisingly pedestrian figures given the engine is basically a detuned version of the same 1.5-liter LC15 engine found pretty much elsewhere.

The Civic’s lower power figures in Singapore has to do with their unique COE system. Not only does the COE (a requirement for vehicle ownership over there) take into account displacement, but lately, they’ve also taken into account overall output as well. By adopting a detuned version of the 1.5-liter engine, the all-new Civic managed to meet both the displacement and the horsepower ceiling.


Aside from the engine, the only other change in the Singaporean market Civic is the addition of rear AC vents—something that’s absent in the Thai version. Aside from that, it echoes the base Civic launched in Thailand except that it’s got Honda SENSING as standard.

Of course, the Philippines doesn’t use Singapore’s horsepower or displacement-based registration method. However, if it is priced considerably lower than the full-bodied 178-horsepower version found in Thailand, Honda Cars Philippines could very well use this de-tuned engine for non-RS variants (or maybe the base model), and reserve the high output version for the RS.

5 comments:

  1. I don't think its a fascination for horsepower. We've always been getting the short end of the stick when it comes to Honda's newer engines. Mostly due to the alleged "fuel quality issues" B.S that the local media seems to have embraced without thought. Take note, the Chinese brands like Geely, provide turbo engines and by all measures, have proven to be reliable and responsive. The best part, they are fairly priced. Honda's mistake is making too much of a big deal of their engines since they switched to making turbo engines. Entertaining the idea of an NA engine Civic in 2021to make it more affordable will just lead, once again, to the erroneous pricing of their turbo variants.....Good luck Honda , You and Subaru HP will endure the same fate.

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  2. The 129 hp engine is very much fine for the Philippine market. Too much power is just a waste as there's heavy traffic everywhere anyway despite the pandemic.

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    1. Traffic? Not everyone lives in Metro Manila.....so your statement needs fine tuning. More HP has nothing to do with traffic. Its getting the same engines as do other markets. To abide with your logic will subjugate us all to riding e-bikes.

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    2. Hold your horses. You can still have the ECU flashed broseph. Nothing wrong with 129 hp. How much is gas rn? 58? 60?

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  3. Speaking of horses, 158 wld still be acceptable, or greatly received for the sedan, mm🤔

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