My bro-in-law has a 2.0 (the base spec one, though). The performance is reasonable, goes up and down genting without much struggle.

It's not exactly what I would call fun to drive, but it is not bad.

But still....RM150k for a C-segment (and summore possibly CKD) is asking a lot, turbo or not. As for the fun-to-drive part, if it comes with CVT then......

So what would you recommend for a fun to drive car which can also be used as a daily driver and not more than RM150K NEW?

I'm looking for a comfortable yet powerful enough car for everyday commute of 2+ hours/day.

I'm interested in the honda civic 1.5 turbo, reviews in other countries suggested it is overall best in terms of ride handling, NVH, and engine performance.

For its expected price range (~RM130k), is there other car models I should check out also?

If going for higher budget, I guess Camry hybrid is the best in that price range?

The next thing we will hear once this car launches is how expensive the maintenance is and how quickly it wears through its parts (such as brake pads), hehehe.

There are quite a bit of hidden cost involved owning a turbocharged car.

Drive the thing first then only make such judgement...CVTs have came a long way and Honda's engineers sure put in a lot of work to tweak it for the best balance of responsiveness and fuel economy.

Seems like quite a number of reviews from other countries able to get sub 7s 0-100km/h acceleration numbers...quite a hoot 

I got to test drive that thing when it launches here 
Yes way if just kereta kosong without GST and insurance 

If you add in GST and insurance, the price comes to the ballpark figure of 140k.

1.8/2.0/2.5 being at risk, I doubt it la - compared to a turbocharged car, those NA will always be cheaper to run and maintain and people who don't want any fuss will go for those cars instead.

Yea...Would like to see the interior of the 1.5 Turbo to justify the price difference against the 1.5 Turbo Premium.

Still can't figure out why the 1.5 Turbo Premium so exp.