Honda Civic Type R vs KIA Pegas

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

Honda Civic Type R in South Africa

Honda Civic Type R

2.0T Type R Manual Petrol Manual
ZAR 1,021,600 ex-showroom
⚡ 315 kW 🔧 420 Nm ⛽ 12 km/l
VS
KIA Pegas in South Africa

KIA Pegas

1.4 EX Auto Petrol Automatic
ZAR 318,995 ex-showroom
⚡ 73 kW 🔧 132 Nm Nm ⛽ 16.9 km/l
Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance Civic Type R
Fuel Economy Civic Type R
🛡 Safety Tie
📦 Practicality Pegas
🔑 Ownership Pegas
Pegas starts ZAR 1021600 cheaper Civic Type R from ZAR 1,021,600 · Pegas from ZAR 292,995

Key Specs Side by Side

The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.

Spec Civic Type R Pegas
Engine Power 315 73 kW
Torque 420 132 Nm
Engine Size 1996 1368
Claimed Mileage 12 16.9
Ground Clearance 130 148
Boot Space 410 502
Airbags 6 6
Kerb Weight 1430 1130
Seating Capacity Available 5
Warranty 3 7

= leads in this spec

The Overall Score — Here's How They Stack Up

🏆 Winner
#1

Civic Type R

69
/ 100
+13
pts
#2

Pegas

56
/ 100

Moderate difference between the models.

The Bottom Line

Civic Type R has a slight advantage, but Pegas remains highly competitive.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance Civic Type R +14 pts
Efficiency Civic Type R +9 pts
Safety Equal
Practicality Pegas +2 pts
Ownership Pegas +8 pts

Score Breakdown by Category

🏆 Overall Winner

Civic Type R

Performance 20/20
Efficiency 9/20
Safety 18/20
Practicality 10/20
Ownership 12/20

Pegas

Performance 6/20
Efficiency 0/20
Safety 18/20
Practicality 12/20
Ownership 20/20

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

🏆 Overall Winner

Civic Type R

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Better fuel efficiency
Weak Spots
  • Less practical in daily usage
  • Shorter warranty coverage
Best suited to: Highway Driving Fuel Efficiency

Pegas

Strengths
  • More practical for daily use
  • Better long-term ownership value
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower fuel efficiency
Best suited to: Family Usage

Which One's Right for You?

Civic Type R

  • Drivers who prioritise strong highway performance and overtaking power
  • Buyers looking for better fuel efficiency

Pegas

  • Large families needing more practicality and usability
  • Long-term owners valuing warranty and ownership peace of mind

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Civic Type R Pegas
Ground Clearance 130 148
Wheelbase 2735 2570
Length 4595 4400
Width 1890 1700
Height 1405 1470
Kerb Weight 1430 1130
Gross Vehicle Weight 1850 1450
Seating Capacity 4 5
Boot Space 410 502
Towing Capacity 0 N/A
Turning Radius 5.7 10.4
Number of Doors 5 4
Boot Space Seats Folded 1500 502
Front Track Width 1550 1475
Rear Track Width 1540 1475
Load Bed Length Available N/A
Load Bed Width Available N/A
Front Legroom Available 1030
Rear Legroom Available 860
Front Headroom Available 990
Rear Headroom Available 950
Front Shoulder Room Available 1380
Rear Shoulder Room Available 1330
Max Payload Available N/A
Boot Volume Available 502
Doors Available 4
Seats Available 5
Front Overhang Available 810
Fuel Tank Capacity Available 40
Rear Overhang Available 1020
Spec Civic Type R Pegas
Engine 2.0L Turbo Petrol 1.4 G4FA Inline-4 DOHC Petrol
Engine Type Inline 4 Cylinder Turbocharged VTEC Inline 4 Cylinder Naturally Aspirated
Displacement 1996 1368
Cylinders 4 4
Compression Ratio 9.8:1 11.0:1
Power 315 73 kW
Torque 420 132 Nm
Fuel System Direct Injection Multi-Point Fuel Injection
Turbocharger High-Performance Single Turbo No
Top Speed 272 172
0-100 km/h 5.4 11.5
Cylinder Layout Inline 4 (I4) Inline 4 (I4)
Engine Aspiration Turbocharged Naturally Aspirated
Engine Code Standard G4FA
Cylinder Bore 82.0 77.0
Piston Stroke 92.0 73.4
Fuel Grade Required Petrol 93 Octane
Valves per Cylinder Available 16
Power @ RPM 150 6,000 rpm
Torque @ RPM 400 4,200 rpm
Engine Position Available Front Transverse
Engine Oil Capacity Available 3.5
Power 150 98
Variable Valve Timing Available CVVT
Maximum Engine RPM Available 6,500 rpm
Engine Type Config Available Inline 4 Cylinder (I4) DOHC 16-Valve
0–100 km/h Available 11.5
Battery Capacity Available N/A
Charging Port Available N/A
AC Charging Time Available N/A
Engine Displacement Available 1368
EV Range Available N/A

So, Which One Should You Buy?

🏆 Honda Civic Type R wins with 69 pts vs 56 pts for Pegas

In structured scoring, Civic Type R emerges as the stronger overall package. However, Pegas may appeal to buyers prioritising different factors. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Buyers Also Looked At These

Other comparisons that people in the same boat tend to check out.

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

On our scoring the Civic Type R edges ahead overall. That said, the right choice depends on what you actually use the car for — the breakdown above shows exactly where each one wins and loses.

Efficiency scores: Civic Type R 9 vs Pegas 0. In the real world, diesel variants of either car will beat the claimed figure on long highways and fall short in Joburg traffic.

Safety scores: Civic Type R 18, Pegas 18. Check each model page for NCAP ratings and which trim levels include AEB and blind-spot monitoring — those features aren't always standard.

Long-term ownership scores: Civic Type R 12, Pegas 20. Service intervals, parts availability in SA, and whether a service plan is bundled all factor in — check the individual variant specs for that detail.

Practicality scores: Civic Type R 10, Pegas 12. This covers boot space, seat flexibility, and day-to-day usability — not just interior dimensions on paper.

Performance scores: Civic Type R 20, Pegas 6. This looks at real-world pace — 0–100 kph, highway flexibility, and how either car feels when you actually need to overtake on an N-road.

Resale varies with colour, spec, and market timing, but Japanese brands — and Toyota specifically — have a strong track record in SA. Check current used prices for both on AutoTrader to see the real gap right now.

Ground clearance and 4WD availability are what matter most here. Scroll to the spec table above to compare both side by side — if either model offers a 4WD variant, that's the version worth comparing.

Fuel, insurance, and service costs are the big three. Diesel variants of both models typically save R800–R1,500/month in fuel at current SA pump prices. The Civic Type R edges the overall ownership score, but check whether either variant includes a service plan — that changes the monthly maths significantly.

The Civic Type R scores better overall, but neither car is a bad buy here. It comes down to what features matter to you — check the full spec table above to see exactly what you gain and lose at each price point.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

The comparison between Civic Type R and Pegas in South Africa evaluates performance, efficiency, safety, practicality and long-term ownership value.

Performance: Civic Type R scores 20 vs 6.

Efficiency: Civic Type R scores 9 vs 0.

Safety: Civic Type R scores 18 vs 18.

Practicality: Civic Type R scores 10 vs 12.

Ownership: Civic Type R scores 12 vs 20.

Final structured scoring gives Civic Type R the advantage in this comparison.