By Clive Moleme

Sedans are a dying breed, or so the word on the interweb goes, but in the same token, they seem to be getting better and better, even though it is said that buyers are going for SUV’s more than a conventional sedan. We jumped into the Honda Civic RS, straight from a similarly priced SUV and we didn’t feel like we time travelled back to black and white TV days.

The RS has a very smooth 1.5l turbo charged engine that has 131kW/240Nm. Power is sent to the front wheels via a CVT gearbox, that we don’t have any complaints about. We averaged a healthy 8.0l/100km’s despite living with the sport mode and at no point did we feel that the RS was underpowered, in fact, we felt that the car was perhaps a bit quicker than the power suggests. We also loved how the chassis was dialed in for comfort but not to a point where handling was compromised. There is plenty of composure when taking corners. The steering feels very direct, something Honda never gets wrong, and on-center feel is also great.

Looking at the interior, quality is knocking on if not at the same level as some premium cars. We love the Alcantara seats, the use of leather trims, soft touch materials, white light and backlit buttons, and a minimalistic dashboard. The binnacle is part digital and black levels make it easy to read out what is on screen. Android auto and Apple CarPlay are included with the infotainment, including a wireless inductive charger for the phone that isn’t always on and can be switched on/off with a button. Tech is taken care of by Honda’s SENSING, that include Auto High-Beam, Lane Keep Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control as well as heated seats, a sunroof, and an uprated Bose sound system.

We loved our time in the RS and it showed that there is still plenty life in the sedan fraternity, especially for drivers that still enjoy the driver involvement and fun that comes with owning a family sedan that has all the practicalities of a big boot and rear passengers that can enjoy plenty leg room. The RS is 2cm’s shorter in length than a 2022 Audi A4, and with its level of specification and quality – it is off to a value showcase spree.

The Honda Civic RS is priced from R725,000 and comes with 5 Year / 90 000km service plan, 5 Year / 200 000km warranty and service intervals are every 10 000kms.