The Honda Civic may not have the largest share in the market or the most number of units sold, but the company has been providing Civics for four decades. Throughout these years, 20 million units have been sold all over the world. But the Civic hasn’t been able to make the lists for Britain’s top 10 best-selling new cars. But the model features handy upgrades on carbon emissions, kit levels, and running costs, placing it on the same level as the Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra, and VW Golf. But how will the Honda Civic fare against such competition?

Pros

The new version of the Honda Civic is described as a “thoughtful evolution,” sporting a more athletic and elegant exterior styling to the previous generation. Plus the latest model features a lower profile and wider aerodynamic. The design succeeds in terms of function, providing a drag coefficient of 0.27 that’s almost close to the class leaders. The rearward visibility has also been enhanced thanks to the tailgate’s intelligent design and standard wiper.

The latest Civic also offers a wide range of engines, such as the 1.4 to 1.8 litre units at 98bhp to 140bhp. The newest model is also fitted with lower-friction internals, a brand new intercooler, an enhanced and better lubrication system, and shallow bowl combustion chambers. Most of the trim levels are at 110g/km of CO2 emissions and offer an economy at 67.3mpg. The engines rest under the bonnet, driving the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. The MacPherson struts up front and the rear torsion beam provides the necessary suspension.

The interior is a luxurious upgrade from the Civic’s predecessors. The interior is quite pleasant thanks to the tactile yet soft leathers and plastics used the material. Drivers will have no problem navigating through the dashboard’s architecture, which is made of two arcing plastic swathes that go around the right-hand seat then go through the binnacle below. Plus there’s the multi-information display and the speedometer. All of the interior instruments work very well and are clear to the driver’s eye. Boot space is more than generous, with the spare wheel removed so that height is almost at a metre.

Cons

The Honda Civic’s performance is average.  Its arrival at 60mph from standstill in 9 seconds is similar to other models; Honda’s 8.8 seconds claim probably depends on the road conditions. Thankfully the shift quality is decent and the throttle response impressive. The engine is able spin above 1800rpm at 70mph, but expect the long gear ratios to blunt the car’s flexibility.

The 1.6-litre diesel unit is not as affected by the typical clatter of engines of its kind. It can also pull as hard as 2.0-litre units at certain points. But you can’t expect this unit to rev above 3500rpm. The unit isn’t as refined either at higher revs compared to when it’s lower down. Throttle response becomes useless given such a limitation. Noise levels are still on average, but you do notice the improvement Honda has made on vibration and noise reduction. 

                Honda Motor Company, Ltd. produced a new line of subcompact and compact cars in 1972 with the model name Honda Civic. This model was created as a predecessor to the Honda N600 and Honda Z600.

                The July 1972 version was a two door model that eventually became a three door hatchback by September of the same year. the first generation Civic lasted from 1972 until 1979, and the second generation was available in 1980 until 1983. In 1984, the third generation Civic was released a a five door hatchback, two seat coupe, and wagon, which has also been called the Honda Civic Shuttle because of its design.

                The third generation lasted for three years, and in 1988, the fourth generation Civic was released to the public. This model has significantly increased dimensions, and 1992 welcomed the fifth generation version of the automobile. This lasted until 1995 and was primary characterized by its aerodynamic styling.

                In the years 1996 until 2000, the sixth generation Civic was presented, and the next generation was released in 2001 until 2005. The main difference in the seventh generation is the car’s interior, and body styles such as coupe and sedan were made available in North America. By the year 2006, the model has once again improved to create the eighth generation which became called the Civic Type R in Japan.

                The current model is already the ninth generation which was introduced in December 2010 and displayed at the North American International Auto Show in January 2011.