Memories may be short-lived, but not if the car in question was one that left behind an indelible impression. That’s why owners of the first Honda Civic haven’t quite forgotten what a revolutionary executive sedan it was in its time. The eighth-generation Civic was also the bestselling car in its class and it’s not for nothing that it won the 2007 Autocar Car of the Year award. In fact, after the executive sedan was discontinued in 2012, many owners have patiently hung on to their cars, waiting for a replacement. It was a rather long wait of seven years before Honda brought the Civic back, skipping an entire generation in the process.
But the Civic is finally here and this 10th-generation model comes with a mid-life facelift; so it’s as fresh and up-to-date as it gets. There’s also a diesel engine option for the first time, but has that come too late in a market that is rapidly moving away from diesel?
The question is, is it really that good? Does it have the same ingenuity and appeal of the original that made it so special? Or is it simply riding on its legacy? We put both, petrol and diesel variants of the new Civic through the grind to see if it can recreate the magic of its predecessor.
Honda has equipped the Civic rather well with most of the features you expect in a car from this segment. So, you get four airbags, hill-start assist, ABS with EBD, ESP, reverse camera and parking sensors, all from the base variant. What the base V CVT variant also gets are LED tail-lamps, DRLs, 16-inch diamond-cut alloys, electric mirrors, keyless entry, paddleshifters and rear air-con vents.
As you go higher up the range to the VX variant (the base spec for the diesel and mid-spec for petrol), the features list include an eight-way powered driver’s seat, touchscreen, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, auto-dimming mirrors, ambient lighting and leather upholstery. It is only the top ZX variants that get full-LED auto headlamps,17-inch alloys, sunroof, rain-sensing wipers and curtain airbags. The Civic also gets some segment-first kit like a lane-watch camera, remote engine starter (petrol only) and automatic door locking when the driver walks away with the key.
This 7.0-inch touchscreen has smartphone connectivity like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Touch sensitivity is good, and the interface is relatively easy to operate. Its display is quite clear even under bright sunlight and what’s nice is that the reversing camera display has multiple-views, thus making it easier to park this car. What’s not nice however, are the small physical shortcut buttons on the sides, which feel cheap to use.
Honda has pushed the envelope once again with the new Civic, by giving it a futuristic design that marks it out from the rest of the pack. The fastback styling looks genuinely unique, while the wide, squat stance makes it look sporty and less of an executive sedan. The good thing is that the svelte looks and low-slung design hasn’t come at the cost of practicality, and the Civic is, in fact, a fine example of Honda’s packaging at its best, with every millimetre in the car accounted for. The Japanese carmaker has eked out space from every nook and cranny to offer a remarkably spacious cabin that abounds with cubby holes and storage areas. Cabin quality is also a big step up from past Civics, even though Honda still has some catching up to do with the European brands.
The best part is that Honda has retained the car’s core value of putting the driver in charge. From the perfect driving position to the brilliant ride and handling, the Civic is a class apart and it’s a car you’ll want to drive more than sit at the back in.
What’s a shame is that Honda hasn’t backed the Civic’s sporting pretensions with strong engines. The petrol and the diesel engines do the job but in a rather uninvolving, aloof way. They lack the punch and performance and are the weak link in what is otherwise an expensive but extremely desirable package.
from Autocar India - Cars http://bit.ly/2WmFBLJ
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