Honda makes a Civic bet on its future

This is the Honda that will decide the company’s future.

Sounds a bit bleak, doesn’t it? But the truth is, the company hasn’t been making mass production cars in recent years that cause people to say ‘Yeahh!’

Sure, from a quality and technological point of view, the Civic in various generations laid a reputation which many other marques envy. And for the past 20 years it has been the company’s best-selling car around the world.

But since the demise of the original CRX Coupe version in the early nineties, the Civic’s public perception has gone to something considerably short of sexy.

Now though, they’ve come up with Generation Six. In hatchback form, it’s a whole new departure from recent Civic shapes. And they’ve already pushed out the version that will make the name sexy again, the Type R (above) with the 2-litre 200PS engine that gives the oomph for a 0-62mph performance of 6.8secs. I saw it at the Geneva Motor Show, and it must be giving the European hot hatchmakers some slight nightmaring moments.

As for deciding Honda’s future? Well, it is the only mass manufacturer of its size out there that’s still truly independent. If it doesn’t come up with the business goods, particularly in Europe, it may be forced down the aisle to a marriage not of its preference.

Enough business talk. So what have we in the new Civic?

Well, I had the 5-door 1.6-litre out for a while and while it’s not going to be the big seller in Ireland, it has left me with a pretty good feeling.

The shape of the new car is fresh, and to a trend that is thinking more in terms of the occupant rather than sleek low shapes that look good but compromise those who are not short of stature or slight of build.

The short nose dominated by very large lights is part of all this. In fact, the car is shorter than its predecessor, but has a longer wheelbase and more room for those inside. It owes more to compact MPV design than traditional in the class.

That’s a view accentuated from the side, from which the car looks much larger than than it is. The height and large glass areas are well balanced with a gently-rising waistline which ends at a rear smartly styled to make the most of the car’s wide stance.

Bluntly, there’s never been a better-looking Civic.

Inside too, there’s innovation against the traditional dullness of previous models. Sure there’s much grey plastic, but what else can you build a car interior from? More colours would help, but we can’t have everything at once.

Instruments are classically simple and clear. Honda haven’t moved too far in this area, given that information is information and the most important bits don’t need digital Star Trek techniques to get it across.

But the central V-shaped fascia stack IS innovative in spots, primarily because the gearshift is built into it, leaving loads of flat floor space underneath. The heating controls are lined vertically, nice large knobs. And there’s aircon across the range. Ledges and shelfs across the dashboard area provide plenty of storage space for small stuff, including a mobile. Build quality of the trim and fittings seemed very good - Honda claims this car has the best build quality of any generation Civic so far produced.

Should be, though, shouldn’t it?

I felt immediately comfortable in the driver’s seat, in position that makes the most of the room and the visibility inside the new Civic. And that fascia-mounted gearshift is so right where it is, a little higher than we’re used to, but much more in place for a wider range of driver sizes.

(All this is helped by the high position, which allows leg and arm angles that are much more comfortable than in a lower car. Signs on that Honda - and other manufacturers - are well aware of the shift in demographics which has a much larger wedge of older people in mature western markets.)

A very flat floor front and back adds to the spacious feeling in the whole car, and if it’s necessary to have three teenagers in the rear, they’re not going to feel that much cramped. If they’re not travelling, but large loads are, flip-over rear seatbacks offer a pretty useful luggage area. Even with the seatbacks up, there’s lots of very usable room.

The review car’s 1.6-litre engine seemed a little loud when started, but not displeasingly so. It’s an all-alloy unit which has been improved significantly from its previous incarnation, with 6% more torque and peaking it at lower revs. From a technical point of view, there have also been significant engine weight reductions, and friction-loss improvements. With a 10.2sec 0-100kmh and a fuel consumption of less than 7 litre/100km, this particular Civic’s performance/economy ratio is very good indeed.

In fact, the 1.6-litre car is very peppy indeed, and I was immediately struck by how fast this car picked up from low revs, more than I’d expect from a reading of the power/torque curves. ut then, Honda’s whole automotive reputation is firmly grounded in its engines, so perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised.

(Small diversion here: a run in the 1.4-litre, which I might have thought would be challenged in the size of the car, proved not at all to be so. The 90bhp unit coped well under load and cruised easily in a refined, free-revving and quiet way even under heavy load.)

The feeling of control was very good, thanks again to that high-up driving position, and the power steering which is electrically operated rather than by fuel-sapping hydraulics is nicely balanced in feel and response at all speeds. The gearshifting is about the best I’ve recently experienced.

The brakes are also more responsive than in the previous model, and ABS and electronic brake force distribution (EBD) are standard in all latest Civics. A brake assist system increases braking force under emergency conditions.

Ride and handling on decent roads was very good in the review car, though a bit of choppiness on some of our too-familiar lesser surfaces became evident with just one occupant. A full load would probably deal with this, and with normal suspension systems at this class there simply have to be compromises. Particularly given how big a load this car can probably take. Anyway, the rather superior seat characteristics took care of most potential discomfort.

On my original and very brief run in one of these I came away slightly disappointed. But what I feel now about the new Civic just goes to show that one should never judge a new car by a 20-minute trip around indifferent roads.

This Honda is a real contender. One I’d be inclined to put my money on if I was a betting man. One which I’d be prepared to put my money INTO if I was in the market for a new car just now.

Mind you, it wouldn’t be the cheapest in the class at close to £17,000 for this particular version. Hondas never are. But taking value for money terms, it probably wouldn’t be any waste of money. And the only one better would be the Type R.

Yeahh!