2023 Honda Civic VTi LX: Quick Review

The Honda Civic has long been a favourite among compact car enthusiasts, known for its reliability and dynamic driving experience.

Now in it's 11th generation, the Civic has rationalised it's line-up to cut out entry-level models, instead now offering two premium variants– the VTi LX or hybrid e-HEV LX.

So for those who are interested in all that the new Civic has to offer, let's take a look at what you'll pick up with the petrol VTi LX.

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Pricing and features

Sharing the same bones as the iconic Civic Type R, the VTi LX has picked up some refinement and engineering that goes into making one of the worlds most popular hot hatches.

Operating as an agency model (like Mercedes-Benz) means that the Civic pricing is standard across all dealerships. And in the case of the VTi LX it has an asking price of $47,200 drive-away.

Under the bonnet is a punchy 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder producing 131kW and 240Nm, running on 91 RON regular unleaded fuel.

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Step inside, and the VTi-LX welcomes you with a lavish and sporty interior. Leather seats, a sunroof, and a premium sound system add to the luxury touches throughout the car.

The infotainment system, with its 9-inch touchscreen and Wireless Apple CarPlay, offers seamless connectivity.

The feature-full VTi LX includes:

The VTi LX is available in four colours, that are all no-cost options.

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Safety

The Civic has not been ANCAP testing, but does hold a five-star rating from Euro NCAP internationally.

As part of the ENCAP testing, the Civic received an 89% adult occupant protection score and 87% child occupant protection score.

Standard safety equipment includes 8 airbag, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, driver attention motnitoring and a reversing camera.

The e-HEV hybrid variant adds front and rear parking sensors, traffic sign recognition and additional airbags– front centre and rear side airbags.

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Key rivals

In its previous generation, the Civic started at a price-point alongside key competitors at the time such as the Toyota Corolla and Mazda 3. Now it competes with the range-toppers of the same models.

And with a drive-away price almost hitting $50,000, it's been pushed up into a new league of competition against hot hatches such as the Hyundai i30N.

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Should I put it on my shortlist?

The 2023 Honda Civic VTi-LX is a testament to Honda's promise of premium without compromising on reliability.

With fixed pricing nationwide through their new agency model, there will be no need for haggling or negotiations. However that comes at a significant price.

With newer budget entrants arriving in Australia by the day, offering drive-away bargains, it's hard for many to justify the step up into this territory for a hatchback.