For the Civic, it combines two electric motors with a newly-developed 2.0-liter direct-injected Atkinson cycle engine. Honda is particularly proud of their latest internal combustion engine which has several new elements helping it achieve a thermal efficiency of 41 percent—among the highest for a production road car. Combined, it makes a healthy 183 horsepower and 315 Nm of torque—more than the Civic Turbo on offer here.

The electric motors work together to provide the primary drive force for the Civic Hybrid. The engine is controlled by a new, compact Power Control unit which now sits under the hood with the rest of the powertrain. Sitting under the rear seats is the latest version of Honda’s Intelligent Power Unit and whilst smaller and lighter, it benefits from an increased energy density.

The Civic e:HEV is capable of switching between EV, Hybrid, and Engine drive with no input from the driver. Four drive modes: Eco, Normal, Sport and a new Individual mode, which allows separate control of the engine, transmission and cluster gauge display, can be selected by the driver to tailor the vehicle response as required.

Central to the e:HEV system is the fixed gear transmission, which has been designed to minimize mechanical friction and is controlled by an intelligent power control unit, which optimizes the vehicle to each driving situation. Honda says the Civic e:HEV will be capable of more than 20 km/L in real-world driving situations.

With record gas prices, should Honda Cars Philippines offer the Civic e:HEV to the Philippine market, or is the standard turbocharged engine appropriate for the market?