KUALA LUMPUR: It is here, the all-new 2022 Honda Civic has finally been launched after it was available for booking last month.

A big moment for Honda Malaysia, the Civic is one of the most important models and is the best-selling C-segment sedan here in the country. Except it is not really a traditional-looking sedan any more.

The new 11th gen Civic now wears a more fastback-styled silhouette than before with long bonnet and short tail, very much like, say, Audi A5 or its bigger brother, the Accord.

Interestingly, some of the design philosophy – according to Honda – was taken from the third-generation car where the large glass area is incorporated to deliver a sense of spaciousness and airiness.

The red car you see here is the range-topping RS variant, which is introduced for the first time for the Civic.

The Civic RS can be distinguished by its sportier design elements like darkened headlight internals, gloss black rear spoiler, visible twin pipes, black side mirrors, black window trims and the larger 18-inch black alloy wheels (E and V get 16- and 17-inch wheels respectively).

Dimension wise, the new Civic is 30mm longer, 3mm wider and 1mm lower than before.

The wheelbase is also longer at 2,733mm.

Boot space is however smaller than the previous car, at 497 litres.

Exterior equipment includes Solid Wing Face grill area, trapezoidal LED headlights, C-shaped LED taillights, and it retains the C-pillar kink from the previous FC Civic.

Also for the first time ever, the 1.8-litre i-VTEC naturally-aspirated engine has been dropped so the 1.5-litre VTEC Turbo four-cylinder engine is a standard fit across the range.

The engine makes around 182hp and 240Nm torque while drive is sent to the front wheels via the EarthDreams CVT transmission.

The cabin bears a cleaner design where you'll find a horizontal dashboard with a honeycomb metal mesh cover that houses the full-width air vents. This gives a more minimalist cabin design to the Civic.

But you'll be glad that the frequently-used functions are still operated by physical buttons such as the air-conditioning controls, which have good tactile feel to them.

Infotainment system on the V and RS is a nine-inch floating screen unit (seven-inch for the E) and supports Apple CarPlay as well as Android Auto.

The seats have been redesigned to improve support and comfort, and are upholstered in leather, RS gets suede and red stitching inserts.

Other standard features in the cabin includes keyless entry, push-button start, a seven-inch digital instrument display, automatic climate control, reverse camera, and the new windshield washers integrated into the wipers.

All Honda Civic variants also come with Honda's advanced safety suite, Honda Sensing which comprised of items like Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS), Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Auto High Beam (AHB).

"In developing the all-new Civic, Honda's R&D team has put in a lot of thought and effort in designing the exterior, interior and overall package of the car," said Ms. Madoka Chujo, Honda Malaysia Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.

"This model is a modern interpretation of the classic and timeless human-centred Honda values, with a new design concept that exudes a New Age Identity sedan."

Pricing for the new 2022 Honda Civic starts at RM125,634.64 for the Civic 1.5L E to RM144,350.09 for the range-topping RS.

As of now, Honda Malaysia has collected more than 1,200 bookings for the new Civic and the company aims to sell around 900 units monthly.