Is the 11th-generation Honda Civic's Malaysian debut around the corner?  

The 11th-generation Honda Civic is bound to be a common sight in Southeast Asia. Just three and a half months from its global debut in the United States, Honda’s C-segment sedan has already made its way to Thailand and Singapore. 

Our neighbours up north celebrated the arrival of Honda’s latest Toyota Corolla fighter last week. There, it’s sold exclusively with Honda’s 1.5-litre VTEC Turbo mill in 178PS state of tune. And there’s a rather handsome RS variant (pictured) on offer as well, which retails for a cool THB1,199,900 – the rough equivalent of RM152k. 

Singaporean Civic fans are forced to make do with a slightly tamer car, as the Civic was introduced across the causeway last night with only 129PS on tap to keep the car within a more commercially viable COE bracket. 

So, is the Malaysian premiere of the 2022 Honda Civic just around the corner? 

Earlier this year Honda Malaysia president and COO Sarly Adle Sarkum hinted that the company's latest sedan might just be unveiled here before the end of the year. Mainstream carmakers juggling the production and sales timelines of multiple model cycles such as Honda go to great lengths to ensure things go according to schedule. But although we've gotten several new car launches during this lockdown – think Volkswagen Arteon, Mercedes E-Class and Proton Persona/Iriz – automotive supply chains have been greatly impacted by the ongoing business restrictions. 

Honda Malaysia confirmed earlier this month that its new model plans and supply chain have been impacted by the FMCO. According to president and CEO Madoka Chujo: "The prolonged business closure has impacted Honda Malaysia’s new model production due to no testing conducted in the manufacturing facility. Furthermore, the company’s supply chain and exportation of parts are also affected". 

The upcoming Civic FE falls within Honda's 'new models' without question. Given the localisation efforts needed to get the sedan, which will undoubtedly be slated for local assembly in Melaka, on local roads – this ranges from pre-production tests to product training – delays are inevitable at this point. And even if restrictions on the automotive industry are eased in time for Honda to launch the car here by the end of the year, how the market will respond to the reopening of showrooms remain a mystery given the economic uncertainties faced by most sectors at present. 

In any case, when the new Civic gets here, we can probably expect a similar line-up as what's on offer in Thailand, which includes the 1.5-litre VTEC Turbo engine in a slightly higher state of tune than what we're getting in the existing 10th-gen model. We should also be getting Honda Connect, the company's latest multimedia connectivity suite that's currently only available here in the Honda City RS. 

Should Honda Malaysia choose to launch the Civic virtually while showrooms remain closed, would you be convinced to place a booking without a proper walkaround and test drive?