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Versatile Civic still standing out from the crowd
When cars have been around as long as the Honda Civic, you know they must be doing something right.
The latest version is the ninth generation of a model introduced in 1972 but some things never change: It remains a reliable, versatile and family-friendly medium-sized hatchback that continues to stand out from the crowd because of its revolutionary looks.
Key points about the 2012 Civic are that designers have listened to the few (and it was a few) grumbles from owners and acted upon most of them.
So, the new car delivers a far smoother and more comfortable ride thanks to an improved suspension design. The interior has also taken a step up in class with extensive use of soft-touch materials and improved sound insulation.
Handling has improved, too, because of better road-holding and thankfully, it still boasts a cavernous boot that would win hands-down in a "show me yours" contest with rivals and the clever seats, which allow you to make the maximum use of the available space.
It has class-leading luggage space with the rear seats up and when they are flipped down. Seats up there is 401 litres of space available while the under-floor compartment adds a further 76 litres – compare that to 380 litres in the VW Golf, 365 litres in the Fiat Bravo, 340 in the Hyundai i30 and 316 in the Ford Focus.
The Magic Seat system allows an incredible range of configurations for maximum versatility. Flip up. Fold down. Recline. You can transform the interior of the Civic at the lift of a lever or push of a button.
The rear seats lift up, fold over and lock down in one easy movement, and the 60:40 split folding design creates lots of configurations for your ever-changing requirements.
With a simple "dive-down" motion the rear seat backs can be folded down completely to give a flat boot space that is 1600mm long and 1350mm wide.
The resulting space is large enough to carry, for example, three mountain bikes (with the front wheels removed), three extra large Samsonite cases or three large golf bags. This is possible even with the front seats in their rearmost position.
The rear seat bases can also be flipped up to reveal a large floor for carrying tall objects. A 60:40 split in the seat base offers even more options for carrying people and cargo.
It also offers an alternative load area if access via the tailgate is limited.
The sticking point over whether you buy a Civic or not might be the rear of the car or, more exactly, vision out of the rear window.
What made the eighth generation of the car, introduced in 2006, so revolutionary was the sporty, coupé styling, which included a spoiler that split the rear windscreen. Many, including me, complained that it made it difficult to see what was behind you – rather an important consideration, you might think.
My criticism was tempered somewhat because, on balance, I felt the "problem" was worth living with because, for the money, there were few better-looking cars and use of the side mirrors meant you could, actually, see everything you needed to.
My main grumble was more to do with the lack of a rear wiper, presumably because the designers felt the car's aerodynamics would keep the glass clear, much as it does with a saloon. The reality was that it didn't and I'm pleased that with this new car, there is now a rear wiper system.
It has been achieved by lowering the rear window "bar" which, combined with a heated rear screen, Honda says has addressed the visibility issue. I still don't think it has totally but things have improved and overall, I remain in the "looks win out" camp.
One other thing to mention is the fact that with this new model, the Civic is only available as a five-door.
Honda says the car's styling fully caters for the minority who choose a three-door car for perceived better looks. And it certainly means the car is easy to get in and out of for rear seat passengers and proves comfortable on long journeys.
There are currently three engines to choose from – 1.4 and 1.8-litre petrols and a 2.2 diesel, while a 1.6 diesel is expected to eventually join the line-up. It is the larger of the two petrol engines that I am testing here and although I have never driven it, I feel, looking at the figures, some will find the 1.4 under-powered.
On the move in this car, you are first struck by the near-perfect weighting and smoothness of the brake and clutch pedals and the lovely, snickety precision of the six-speed gearbox. There is a five- speed automatic option on the 1.8 if you really don't like it. Whatever your transmission choice though, it will quickly become obvious once you try this Honda that this is an easy car to drive.
Civic pricing sits in the expected bracket for Focus-sized family hatchbacks, so you will be looking at paying somewhere between £17,000 and £27,000 for mainstream models. Whichever model you choose – trim levels start with SE and progress through ES and EX to EX GT – you should find your car to be decently equipped. All models include alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, climate controlled auto air conditioning, the i-MID driver information display, all- round electric windows and power mirrors, an alarm and a Hill Start Assist system to stop you rolling backwards on uphill junctions.
You also get a stereo system clever enough to use its neat shark fin- style radio antenna to retune itself to your favourite radio station as you drive through areas of different frequencies. Plus it offers USB port and iPod connectivity.
My ES car has Bluetooth, cruise control, dual zone air-con, rear parking camera, automatic lights and wipers, front fogs and leather steering wheel and gearstick.
EX trim adds leather upholstery and heated seats, better audio and sat-nav, while the EX-GT gets a panoramic glass roof, front and rear parking sensors, smart entry and start and bigger alloys.
Overall, this is a tempting package of sporty looks, great drivability and all-round practicality. Plus remember, this continues to be a British-built (at Swindon) car.
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Versatile Civic still standing out from the crowd
When cars have been around as long as the Honda Civic, you know they must be doing something right.
The latest version is the ninth generation of a model introduced in 1972 but some things never change: It remains a reliable, versatile and family-friendly medium-sized hatchback that continues to stand out from the crowd because of its revolutionary looks.
Key points about the 2012 Civic are that designers have listened to the few (and it was a few) grumbles from owners and acted upon most of them.
So, the new car delivers a far smoother and more comfortable ride thanks to an improved suspension design. The interior has also taken a step up in class with extensive use of soft-touch materials and improved sound insulation.
Handling has improved, too, because of better road-holding and thankfully, it still boasts a cavernous boot that would win hands-down in a "show me yours" contest with rivals and the clever seats, which allow you to make the maximum use of the available space.
It has class-leading luggage space with the rear seats up and when they are flipped down. Seats up there is 401 litres of space available while the under-floor compartment adds a further 76 litres – compare that to 380 litres in the VW Golf, 365 litres in the Fiat Bravo, 340 in the Hyundai i30 and 316 in the Ford Focus.
The Magic Seat system allows an incredible range of configurations for maximum versatility. Flip up. Fold down. Recline. You can transform the interior of the Civic at the lift of a lever or push of a button.
The rear seats lift up, fold over and lock down in one easy movement, and the 60:40 split folding design creates lots of configurations for your ever-changing requirements.
With a simple "dive-down" motion the rear seat backs can be folded down completely to give a flat boot space that is 1600mm long and 1350mm wide.
The resulting space is large enough to carry, for example, three mountain bikes (with the front wheels removed), three extra large Samsonite cases or three large golf bags. This is possible even with the front seats in their rearmost position.
The rear seat bases can also be flipped up to reveal a large floor for carrying tall objects. A 60:40 split in the seat base offers even more options for carrying people and cargo.
It also offers an alternative load area if access via the tailgate is limited.
The sticking point over whether you buy a Civic or not might be the rear of the car or, more exactly, vision out of the rear window.
What made the eighth generation of the car, introduced in 2006, so revolutionary was the sporty, coupé styling, which included a spoiler that split the rear windscreen. Many, including me, complained that it made it difficult to see what was behind you – rather an important consideration, you might think.
My criticism was tempered somewhat because, on balance, I felt the "problem" was worth living with because, for the money, there were few better-looking cars and use of the side mirrors meant you could, actually, see everything you needed to.
My main grumble was more to do with the lack of a rear wiper, presumably because the designers felt the car's aerodynamics would keep the glass clear, much as it does with a saloon. The reality was that it didn't and I'm pleased that with this new car, there is now a rear wiper system.
It has been achieved by lowering the rear window "bar" which, combined with a heated rear screen, Honda says has addressed the visibility issue. I still don't think it has totally but things have improved and overall, I remain in the "looks win out" camp.
One other thing to mention is the fact that with this new model, the Civic is only available as a five-door.
Honda says the car's styling fully caters for the minority who choose a three-door car for perceived better looks. And it certainly means the car is easy to get in and out of for rear seat passengers and proves comfortable on long journeys.
There are currently three engines to choose from – 1.4 and 1.8-litre petrols and a 2.2 diesel, while a 1.6 diesel is expected to eventually join the line-up. It is the larger of the two petrol engines that I am testing here and although I have never driven it, I feel, looking at the figures, some will find the 1.4 under-powered.
On the move in this car, you are first struck by the near-perfect weighting and smoothness of the brake and clutch pedals and the lovely, snickety precision of the six-speed gearbox. There is a five- speed automatic option on the 1.8 if you really don't like it. Whatever your transmission choice though, it will quickly become obvious once you try this Honda that this is an easy car to drive.
Civic pricing sits in the expected bracket for Focus-sized family hatchbacks, so you will be looking at paying somewhere between £17,000 and £27,000 for mainstream models. Whichever model you choose – trim levels start with SE and progress through ES and EX to EX GT – you should find your car to be decently equipped. All models include alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, climate controlled auto air conditioning, the i-MID driver information display, all- round electric windows and power mirrors, an alarm and a Hill Start Assist system to stop you rolling backwards on uphill junctions.
You also get a stereo system clever enough to use its neat shark fin- style radio antenna to retune itself to your favourite radio station as you drive through areas of different frequencies. Plus it offers USB port and iPod connectivity.
My ES car has Bluetooth, cruise control, dual zone air-con, rear parking camera, automatic lights and wipers, front fogs and leather steering wheel and gearstick.
EX trim adds leather upholstery and heated seats, better audio and sat-nav, while the EX-GT gets a panoramic glass roof, front and rear parking sensors, smart entry and start and bigger alloys.
Overall, this is a tempting package of sporty looks, great drivability and all-round practicality. Plus remember, this continues to be a British-built (at Swindon) car.
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ELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
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