2019 Honda Civic vs rivals: Price, specifications comparison

The Honda Civic, launched at Rs 17.70 lakh, will face competition from the Hyundai Elantra, Skoda Octavia and Toyota Corolla Altis. We pit the four executive sedans against each other on paper.

Published On Mar 08, 2019 08:00:00 AM

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2019 Honda Civic vs rivals: Price, specifications comparison

The all-new 10th-generation Honda Civic has launched in India, priced at Rs 17.70 lakh for the base Civic V variant and going up to Rs 22.30 lakh for the top-spec Civic ZX trim. Available in three variants and two engine options, the executive sedan enters a segment where it will compete against the likes of the Skoda Octavia, the Toyota Corolla Altis and the Hyundai Elantra. How does the Civic fit in? Comparing the executive sedans on specifications and price answers that with some clarity.

Dimensions

The new Honda Civic is larger than the last Civic sold in India. While it is about the same size as its rivals, the Honda is the shortest amongst its rivals. The Civic does sport the largest wheels and chunkiest tyres but the relatively large turning circle works against the Honda. The Civic also has the smallest boot and fuel tank. Skoda’s Octavia is the largest of the executive sedans, despite having the shortest wheelbase. Meanwhile, the Hyundai Elantra is about average in this department. The Corolla Altis petrol sports the largest fuel tank here, but on no other metric is the Toyota class-leading.

2019 Civic vs rivals: Dimensions
	Civic	Elantra	Octavia	Corolla Altis
Length	4656mm	4570mm	4670mm	4620mm
Width	1799mm	1800mm	1814mm	1775mm
Height	1433mm	1465mm	1476mm	1475mm
Wheelbase	2700mm	2700mm	2688mm	2700mm
Kerb weight	1300-1353kg	1271-1408kg	1235-1395kg	1220-1310kg
Fuel tank	47 litres	50 litres	50 litres	43-55 litres
Boot space	430 litres	458 litres	590 litres	470 litres
Turning circle	11.7m	10.6m	10.4m	10.8m
Tyre size	215/50 R17	205/60 R16	205/55 R16	205/55 R16

Powertrain

Like its rivals, the Honda Civic is available with petrol and diesel engines. However, the Civic petrol can only be had with a CVT automatic while the diesel is only offered with a 6-speed manual transmission. The Toyota Corolla Altis misses on a diesel-auto combo while the Skoda Octavia and Hyundai Elantra offer wide variety with petrol and diesel engines, each available with manual and auto transmissions. The Skoda Octavia has the most shining power numbers. Its 1.8-litre, turbo-petrol and 2.0-litre, diesel engines are the most powerful of the lot.

2019 Honda Civic vs rivals: Petrol powertrain
	Civic	Elantra	Octavia	Corolla Altis
Type	4-cylinder, naturally aspirated	4-cylinder, naturally aspirated	4-cylinder, turbo-petrol	4-cylinder, naturally aspirated
Displacement	1799cc	1999cc	1395cc/1798cc	1798cc
Valvetrain	4 valves per cylinder, SOHC	4 valves per cylinder, DOHC	4 valves per cylinder, DOHC	4 valves per cylinder, DOHC
Power	141hp	152hp	150hp/180hp	140hp
Torque	174Nm	192Nm	250Nm/250Nm	173Nm
Transmission	7-step CVT	6-speed MT/AT	6-speed MT/7-speed dual-clutch	6-speed MT/7-step CVT
ARAI fuel effieincy	16.5kpl	14.59kpl/14.62kpl	16.7kpl/15.1kpl	16.7kpl

The Honda Civic diesel gets one up on its rivals with a class-best 26.8kpl fuel-efficiency figure, although the Civic petrol trails the Corolla Altis automatic (16.7kpl) and the Skoda Octavia 1.4, which comes with a 6-speed manual. In terms of fuel economy, the Elantra petrol is the least fuel-efficient while the diesel Hyundai posts decent figures.

2019 Civic vs rivals: Diesel powertrain
	Civic	Elantra	Octavia	Corolla Altis
Type	4-cylinder, turbo-diesel	4-cylinder, turbo-diesel	4-cylinder, turbo-diesel	4-cylinder, turbo-diesel
Displacement	1597cc	1582cc	1968cc	1364cc
Valvetrain	4 valves per cylinder, DOHC	4 valves per cylinder, DOHC	4 valves per cylinder, DOHC	2 valves per cylinder, SOHC
Power	120hp	128hp	143hp	88hp
Torque	300Nm	260Nm	320Nm	205Nm
Transmission	6-speed MT	6-speed MT/AT	6-speed MT/dual-clutch AT	6-speed MT
ARAI fuel efficiency	26.8kpl	22.54kpl/18.23kpl	21kpl/19.5kpl	21.3kpl

Features

Gadget lovers will be best served by the Skoda Octavia which gets the most goodies. It’s the only car with digital dials and also leads the tally with its seven airbags; though the Honda Civic does boast a segment-first lane-watch camera. The Toyota Corolla isn’t as well-kitted as its rivals, missing out on features such as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility and a sunroof; though it does get reclining rear seats. The Elantra continues to keep the middle ground – the equipment list isn’t segment-leading, but it is still decently kitted.

2019 Civic vs rivals: Features
	Civic	Elantra	Octavia	Corolla Altis
AC	Automatic dual-zone	Automatic dual-zone	Automatic dual-zone	Automatic
Power adjustable driver’s seat	8-way	10-way	12-way	10-way
Reclining rear bench	No	No	No	Yes
Leather upholstery	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sunroof	Remote	Electric	Remote	No
Instrument cluster	7.0-inch digital MID	Black and white MID	Digital MID	Colour MID
Infotainment screen	7.0-inch	8.0-inch	8.0-inch	7.0-inch
Apple CarPlay/Android Auto	Yes/Yes	Yes/Yes	Yes/Yes	No/No
Airbags	6	6	8	7
Lane-watch camera	Yes	No	No	No
Stability control	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hill-start assist	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Traction control	No	No	Yes	No

Price

The Civic diesel comes in two variants while the petrol version is offer in three variants, so it’s possible to find the right version of the Honda for your budget. Do note, the Hyundai Elantra undercuts all the models here and correspondingly comes across as more value-for-money. The Skoda Octavia is the priciest of the executive sedans but its feature set and size do help bolster its case. Lower variants of the Corolla Altis are priced between the Civic and the Octavia while the higher trims cost a little more than the Elantra; which does not make the package as attractive.

2019 Civic vs rivals: Price (ex-showroom, Delhi)
	Civic	Elantra	Octavia	Corolla Altis
Petrol	17.70-21 lakh	13.81-18.91 lakh	15.99-23.59 lakh	16.45-20.19 lakh
Diesel	20.50-22.30 lakh	15.12-20.04 lakh	17.99-25.99 lakh	17.71-19.36 lakh

On paper, then, the Honda Civic might not appear a game-changer. But it’d be premature to write the Civic off just as yet. How good the Honda is on the road and how well it compares with rivals in real-world performance, driving and economy will ultimately decide whether it could be the pick of the executive sedans. Stay tuned for our full review and comparison.

Also see:

2019 Honda Civic India review, test drive

2019 Honda Civic receives 1,100 bookings

2019 Honda Civic India image gallery

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2019 Honda Civic price, variants explained