Honda Civic Range Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Honda Civic range
Prices: £14,250-£21,080 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 4-17
Emissions: 132-215g/km
Performance: [1.8] 0-60mph 8.9s / Max Speed 127mph
Fuel Consumption: [1.4] (combined) 55.4mpg
Safety: Twin front, side and curtain airbags, ABS, VSA
Dimensions: length/width/heightmm 4250/1760/1460mm

FUTURE PERFECT

Our Rating: 7.9 / 10

Honda’s Civic has been mildly improved. It still makes much of the chasing pack feel very old indeed. Jonathan Crouch reports

Has any car ever changed quite as much as Honda’s Civic? Once an old person’s runabout, it is these days something of a technological showcase, this transformation achieved in just a couple of generations. This current model features a higher-tech 1.4-litre i-VTEC petrol engine to join the 1.8 and 2.0-litre i-VTEC units already included in a range that also incorporates a great 2.2-litre diesel engine. Great design, sharp driving manners and excellent dealer backup all come as standard whichever model you choose.

It’s not too often a car is launched that, at a stroke, manages to make all of its rivals look way behind the curve. This however, is what Honda has managed with their current eighth generation Civic, a car that marked out a new generation of family hatches. This car, more than any other, has been responsible for driving down the average age of Honda ownership. The Civic name still stands for impeccable practicality, space and reliability but these days, there’s a bit of spice to it too. Recent changes see improvements to the entry-level 1.4-litre petrol unit and a wider transmission choice.

Four engines are offered at present. The entry level powerplant is now a 100bhp 1.4-litre i-VTEC petrol unit, quicker, cleaner and quieter than the old 82bhp i-DSi engine. Emissions are down from 139g/km to 134g/km of CO2 and if you want to get that down still further, there’s the option of Honda’s next-generation 6-speed i-SHIFT automated manual transmission which returns 132g/km. Here, the driver can choose between either Auto Mode for a more relaxed driving style, or Manual Mode for a more involving drive, using the sequential gearshift or steering wheel mounted paddles – the left paddle controlling down-shifts and the right paddle for up-shifts.

If you want a bit more punch, there’s a 139bhp 1.8-litre petrol engine (now with the option of a conventional 5-speed auto ‘box), with a 2.0-litre version of this unit offered on the flagship Type-R. The most popular engine in the range is the 139bhp 2.2-litre diesel unit. All units are mated with a six-speed manual gearbox, making the Civic one of the only cars in the family hatch sector to be equipped with six-speed gearboxes across all of its range.

The torquey 2.2-litre diesel unit remains the real star and the slick, wristy six-speed manual gearbox will have you punching up and down the ratios just for the sheer fun of it. When this Civic hatch was first launched, many thought it was a case of style over substance, as the complex and expensive multilink rear suspension of the previous model was replaced by a more rudimentary torsion beam arrangement. While the torsion beam isn’t quite as adept at the very limit as a decent multilink, it’s very very good and 99% of the Civic’s clientele will appreciate the space benefits it brings.

You’d have to be a real Honda anorak to notice the changes that have been made to this car. Uprated exterior plastics and a restyled rear combination light cluster have been used to make the car’s overall appearance more premium, while changes to the grille have been made to aid cooling and accommodate the new auto ’box for 1.8-litre models. Inside, uprated plastics and better quality trim materials have been used, including a brushed metal effect trim and matt finish, as seen in the Type R. Smarter seat fabrics have also been introduced.

Although the MK8 Civic is significantly smaller than the previous generation version on the outside, the company claims that room inside is just as generous as before. Instead of trying to understand how Honda has warped the time-space continuum, it’s easier to spot the simple engineering solutions they’ve employed. Like the Jazz, the Civic features a fuel tank that’s centrally-mounted along the cross member below the front seats. This means that the seats in the rear can fold flat and there’s no intrusion into the cargo bay floor. Just because you opt for a three-door model doesn’t bring any penalty in luggage carrying ability, the 485 litres of loading space identical to the more family-friendly five-door car.

All versions of this Honda are generously specified, with the top models featuring equipment usually only found on far bigger cars.