Entry-level “S” variant of Honda Civic axed in PH

If you have your mind set on buying the most affordable brand-new Honda Civic variant available on the market today, you have to hurry up. We’ve come across some information that Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) has discontinued the 1.5 S Turbo Honda SENSING variant of the Civic line.

We were also able to confirm this information with someone from the public relations team of HCPI and found out that this most affordable variant is still available but only until supplies last. After then, the currently mid-spec 1.5 V Turbo CVT Honda SENSING will take the place as the most affordable Honda Civic in the Philippines.

This does come as a shock to some as the 1.5 S Turbo is rather affordable considering what it comes equipped with such as its turbocharged engine and full suite of Honda SENSING safety technology. We currently do not know the reason behind HCPI’s decision to stop selling the most affordable Civic variant but according to a report by our friends from AutoFun Philippines, their contact from the company responded with “It was done to streamline the Civic lineup.”

Now this does point to a possibility that HCPI will soon introduce a new variant, possibly with a hybrid powertrain under its hood just like what we can find in Thailand where local units are sourced from. This could also be caused by various supply issues which are also affecting other Honda models and models from other automakers.

With the Civic 1.5 S Turbo Honda SENSING variant now about to become a thing of the past, the Civic will now be a bit more of a premium offering in the segment with prices for the 1.5 V Turbo Honda SENSING and 1.5 RS Turbo Honda SENSING variants recently increased. The former is now priced at Php 1,583,000 and the latter at Php 1,775,000. These are a lot higher than rivals in the segment such as the Toyota Corolla Altis which starts at Php 1.054-million and tops out at Php 1.665-million.