Honda Civic has a good hybrid system, pleasant handling and a robust equipment package; Even so, it has never sold so little
Last month, only one Brazilian bought a Honda Civic. According to official market data, the Japanese brand’s hybrid sedan reached the unit mark after months of steady decline. Launched in 2023, the Civic e:HEV is sold in a single version, with a hybrid system praised for its consumption of up to 18.4 km/l. That and the good equipment package, however, seem not to have been enough for better performance.
Faced with a success apparently below expectations in the face of the good reception of the Civic in specialized critics – also praised for the mechanical adjustment – the hypothesis of lack of stock arose. This was found by Autoesporte magazine in February: the publication claimed to have contacted more than ten Honda dealerships and, in practically all of them, there were no units of the sedan available.
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At the time, Honda denied it. Now, the automaker has confirmed the information to AutoPapo. “The Civic continues with its regular importation, according to the strategic planning established for it,” the company said.
“As is common among imported models (the Civic is brought from Thailand), high demand can lead to the end of stock in certain dealerships and even in some cities. For this reason, Honda Automobiles works to regulate the network’s inventory in order to always serve its customers in the best possible way. In addition to reinforcing that the model continues with its regular import schedule – including the arrival of a new batch already confirmed – it is also important to highlight that the Civic is one of the most iconic models of the Honda brand around the planet and has a captive audience in Brazil”, added the statement.
According to data from Fenabrave, the hybrid Honda Civic has sold around 3,283 units since January 2023. The best period was precisely last year, when, in February, it had 357 units licensed, with 206 units in the following month. Since then, demand has been dwindling: monthly units reached 65 in April, 22 in July and 13 in December.
In January of this year, there were only 4. Because of this, it sold less than the Civic Type R, the highly sporty variant of R$ 435.500 that has always been a fraction of total sales.
The sedan is marketed in Brazil under the umbrella of e:HEV technology. In practice, the vehicle is driven most of the time by the electric motor, which delivers 184 hp and 32,1 kgfm. The 2.0-liter combustion engine, with 143 hp and 19,1 kgfm, acts secondarily — mostly as an energy generator for the batteries or assisting traction only at higher cruising speeds.
The unique version of the Civic has the Honda Sensing system (which includes adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking and lane keeping assistant) among its highlights. Completing the standard items are the 10.2″ digital instrument panel, 9″ floating multimedia center, Bose premium sound system, sunroof, induction cell phone charger and electrically adjustable leather seats.
