Honda Civic 1.5 RS Turbo vs Proton S70 Flagship X: More power for less money, or superior chassis engineering?

If someone told you that RM89,800 buys you a car with 181 PS, 290 Nm, and a 0-100 km/h sprint of 7.5 seconds, whereas RM149,900 only gets you 180 hp, 240 Nm, and an 8.3-second century run, you would probably wonder if the pricier car had been tagged with the wrong price.

Yet, this is precisely what happens when you pit the Proton S70 Flagship X against the Honda Civic 1.5 RS Turbo. The S70 is RM60,100 cheaper, produces 50 Nm more torque, and is 0.8 seconds quicker to 100 km/h. On paper alone, the Civic RS stands no chance in the performance department.

So, where exactly did that RM60,100 difference go?

Specifications Comparison

The S70 Flagship X price includes an RM5,000 rebate, applicable to the first 2,000 bookings registered before 31 March 2026. 

The S70 Flagship X features Level 2 ADAS with 13 active safety functions. The Civic RS comes standard with Honda SENSING, including Full-Speed Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS).

The Civic's warranty has been upgraded to an 8-year unlimited-mileage package starting 1 September 2026. 

Performance

The S70 Flagship X's 1.5-litre 4-cylinder turbo mill comes from Geely's BHE15 series, and serving up 181 PS and 290 Nm at this price point feels almost unfair to the competition. Its 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission delivers snappy, decisive shifts, with the full 290 Nm of torque hitting from just 2,000 rpm.

When accelerating from 80 to 110 km/h for an overtaking manoeuvre on the Federal Highway, the engine pulls the car forward effortlessly without even needing to drop a gear. That punchy, pushed-in-the-back sensation is virtually impossible to find elsewhere in the RM90,000 bracket.

The Civic RS's 1.5-litre VTEC Turbo engine pushes out 180 hp and 240 Nm, paired with a CVT. Peak torque of 240 Nm kicks in at 1,700 rpm, which is earlier than in the S70. Power delivery is silky-smooth both on and off the throttle, with the CVT sorting out the revs seamlessly.

However, its character is worlds apart from the S70. In the S70, every DCT gear shift is felt with an engaging mechanical cadence; in the Civic RS, the CVT gives you exactly what your right foot asks for.

One lets you savour every gear change as you build speed, while the other makes you forget the gearbox is even there. It is not a matter of which is objectively superior, but rather which driving persona suits your style.

Chassis

The S70 Flagship X rides on a rear torsion beam, whereas the Civic RS employs a multi-link rear setup. This difference takes up just a single line in the spec sheet, but on Malaysian roads, the distinction is even more pronounced than the engine outputs.

The primary benefit of a multi-link rear suspension is that each wheel handles road undulations independently. Over speed humps and potholed tarmac, body roll and rebound are far better controlled, significantly improving rear-passenger comfort.

Furthermore, the Civic RS boasts a 2,735 mm wheelbase against the S70's 2,627 mm—a substantial 108 mm difference. This longer wheelbase, paired with the multi-link setup, puts the Civic RS in a noticeably higher league of high-speed cruising stability.

At 120 km/h along the PLUS Highway, the Civic RS feels planted and glued to the road, whereas the S70 tends to exhibit more vertical bounce over crests and dips.

The Civic RS also packs another piece of hardware absent on the S70: 18-inch alloy wheels shod with 235/40R18 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres. The dry grip and wet aquaplaning resistance of this rubber are distinctly superior to the S70's 17-inch standard tyres.

When changing lanes or overtaking on a rain-soaked highway, the Civic RS inspires far greater confidence. While the S70's factory tyres are perfectly adequate for daily driving, they cannot match the Civic RS's performance envelope near the limit.

This is not something suspension tuning alone can compensate for; it represents a generational gap in chassis architecture and tyre tier.

Equipment

The S70 Flagship X's equipment list is unquestionably impressive for its asking price.

It features a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 10.25-inch full digital instrument cluster, a 360-degree camera system, a panoramic sunroof, a wireless smartphone charging pad, six airbags, and a full Level 2 ADAS package.

The ADAS features include Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and Auto High Beam—totalling 13 active safety functions.

The Civic RS is no slouch either. It gets a 9-inch infotainment screen supporting wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a digital instrument cluster, wireless charging, and the full Honda SENSING active safety suite.

The Honda SENSING system supports Full-Speed Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow, Collision Mitigation Braking, Lane Keep Assist, Road Departure Mitigation, and Auto High Beam. A 360-degree camera is also standard on the RS variant.

Both cars offer almost identical active safety feature coverage; where they diverge is in operational refinement.

Thanks to years of continuous tuning, Honda SENSING delivers more natural steering corrections mid-corner and far smoother throttle and braking inputs when following traffic.

The S70's ADAS is fully featured, but its calibration refinement still needs more real-world maturity. This nuance becomes blatantly apparent during daily stop-and-go jams on the Federal Highway.

Maintenance and Warranty

This is perhaps the most unexpected finding in this head-to-head comparison.

The S70 Flagship X's 5-year scheduled maintenance bill totals around RM4,525.92, whereas the Civic 1.5 RS Turbo comes in at approximately RM3,713.78. The Civic is actually cheaper to maintain by roughly RM812 over five years.

The reason is: Honda's service intervals and individual item pricing are more reasonably structured, whereas the S70's turbocharged powertrain and 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission command higher replacement consumable costs over time.

On the warranty front, the Civic comes with an 8-year unlimited-mileage warranty for all new petrol and e:HEV models registered from 1 September 2026 onwards. In comparison, the S70 offers a 5-year unlimited-mileage warranty paired with 6 times free labour service.

The long-term peace of mind provided by the Civic's additional 3 years of coverage is something the S70 currently cannot match.

In terms of residual value, the Civic retains approximately 72.4% of its value after three years, compared to roughly 71.6% for the S70. With just a 0.8% difference, the S70 holds its own admirably in percentage terms.

However, because the Civic's initial purchase price is RM60,100 higher, the same depreciation rate equates to a much steeper absolute monetary loss.

An RM149,900 Civic will be worth around RM108,500 after three years (a depreciation hit of RM41,400), whereas an RM89,800 S70 will fetch roughly RM64,300 (a depreciation hit of RM25,500). If you look strictly at ringgit lost out of pocket, the S70's ownership cost advantage is substantially clearer.

The Verdict: How to Choose

If your budget is strictly capped below RM90,000, and your priority is getting maximum horsepower, torque, and tech for urban commuting with the occasional outstation trip, the S70 Flagship X is a no-brainer.

At RM89,800 after rebate, you get 181 PS, 290 Nm, a 7.5-second 0-100 km/h sprint, a 12.3-inch wireless connectivity screen, a 360-degree camera, a panoramic sunroof, and a comprehensive 13-feature ADAS suite.

In this price bracket, finding another sedan with this level of performance and equipment is practically impossible.

If you have the financial flexibility and value superior chassis refinement, the sharper dynamic handling of 18-inch alloys with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres, and long-term warranty assurance, the Civic 1.5 RS Turbo justifies its RM149,900 price tag.

The high-speed composure afforded by its multi-link rear suspension and 2,735 mm wheelbase, the wet-weather grip of its 235/40R18 tyres, and the reassurance of an 8-year unlimited-mileage warranty are qualities you will appreciate every single day on the road—even if they cannot be fully captured on a spec sheet.