A few months ago, I drove the 11th-generation Honda Civic—in V Turbo form—for the first time during the auto industry’s turning point. Soldiering on with the current crossover trend, the Japanese brand understands that its iconic compact sedan needs to keep up with the times while maintaining the ethos that made it popular among enthusiasts.

With that curiosity in place, could hybrid power elevate the Civic to greater heights? Honda Cars Philippines answered the call with a trip to Baguio—a first for me—and a twisty journey.

The starting point was Bonifacio Global City where a row of facelifted Civic RS units—four e:HEVs and one Turbo—and one CR-V RS e:HEV were lined up for the 250+km drive. My group was assigned to the ICE-powered model on the first leg.

It might seem odd to include a figurative archaic powertrain in a media drive highlighting Honda’s embrace of electrification. However, aside from obvious logistical factors, it gave me an idea and a benchmark to compare against the V Turbo from before, and the e:HEV on the following day.

Leaving the metro propelled the 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine along NLEX and SCTEX as if it couldn’t wait to head to the mountains. Unlike the base model, the Civic RS Turbo has paddle shifters for those wanting to row simulated gears, making respectable pulls and catch-ups to the convoy more exciting.

Hours later, we arrived in Tarlac where the scenery changed in what felt like a blink of an eye (mostly due to resting and dozing off). We took in as much of the luscious backdrop as possible—especially for a city boy like me—since the exciting part needed 100% road attention.

Driving on Asin Road was the best experience the Honda and Initial D enthusiast in me could dream of. I was not surprised by the excellent handling the Civic was known for, especially when the RS models ran on Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires as standard. The mildly wet surface didn’t hinder its prowess, yet it wasn’t without any challenge to my senses.

The spirited drive was so enjoyable that I forgot that our Civic was about to run out of fuel. The remaining route was merciful enough for us to reach Baguio City, but it still showed the Achilles’ heel of internal-combustion engines next to hybrid power.

The next day, our group finally got to drive the hotly anticipated Civic RS e:HEV seeing if the added power would enhance our trip back to Manila. As a change of scenery, our route leaving Baguio was through Kennon Road, and I finally understood why some people asked if their car could make it to the city center.

Thankfully for our convoy, we took advantage of the downhill nature as regenerative braking charged the 1.05kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Paired with the 2.0-liter Atkinson cycle gasoline engine, the electrified Civic’s total output of 182hp and 315Nm delivered its claim of being the fastest non-Type R model yet feeling as leveled and planted as the RS Turbo.

While returning to the metro, the rush-hour traffic from South Superhighway to BGC was infuriatingly slow, and even finding alternating routes wasn’t without gridlock. On the plus side, the hybrid system in Econ mode efficiently switched between ICE and electric mode, as visualized in the 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster.

Sticking with displays, the nine-inch infotainment screen is an upgrade from the V Turbo with more real estate for Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and the built-in Google apps. The 12-speaker Bose system worked wonders for us throughout the drive, and even kept us company in standstill traffic.

Detour after detour (and even going separate from the convoy), the RS e:HEV brought us to our destination at the golden hour. We unpacked our overnight carry-ons from the 493L trunk, and bid farewell to the press units until we met again for review and testing purposes.

Adding electrification to the Honda Civic lineup raised more comfort and ease of mind for new owners, but also maintained what this nameplate was known for: great power delivery and sporty handling capabilities. This Baguio drive was an excellent proving ground that further pushed my love for the 11th-generation FE chassis.