Honda Civic
On sale January 2006

Keeping the car industry alive in Britain is Honda and hot off the production line at its Swindon factory, is the new Civic, which goes on sale in January 2006. The Civic in the UK is an important car in an important market for Honda. So important that the new Civic will not be released in Japan but has been designed particularly for the European market.

Whilst its predecessor was a car bought by a senior citizen, the startling exterior design of the new five door hatchback is very sporty and stylish and will most definitely appeal to the much younger buyer, as well as the young at heart. A 3 door Civic is expected to arrive at a later date.

While driving this C sector car at its launch I noticed so many heads turning. The front has a band of headlights across the bonnet and a surly down turning mouth. At the rear, there is another wide band of lights and two triangular exhausts! Rear door handles are hidden in the C pillar and the tailgate glass, which is designed to be self-clearing, is split horizontally by a rear spoiler.

The competition, the VW Golf and the Audi A3 have almost as stunning exteriors, but the very Germanic interiors let them down. I couldn’t stop oohing and aahing over the very unique cabin of the new Civic, which has absolutely broken with convention. Honda’s strapline “the Power of Dreams” certainly came true for me. I thought I had been transported to the future. The most essential details that a driver needs to know, like speed, is in huge digital numbers right in front of the steering wheel. Secondary information, like fuel consumption, engine temperature and tachometer are positioned within an inner circle, also in front of the steering wheel. Contained within this circle is a multi information display and it all glows in a fluorescent blue, with bright red highlights. It is three dimensional and seems to float. Around the outside of this display are secondary controls such as those for the air conditioning and the engine start button which adds a sporty flavour. It is all so ‘to hand’ and begs the question, why has no-one made controls so easy to use before! The short six speed gear lever is positioned in the dash, freeing up space for storage and there is lots of it.

Similar to the Honda Jazz, the rear seats tip upwards and fasten to the back of the seat, which gives ideal space for carrying tall pot plants. Very uniquely the 50 litre fuel tank is mounted centrally beneath the floor, giving protection in the event of an accident and permitting a useful flat rear storage area.

The boot too has a radical two level storage configuration. Beneath the boot floor is a ‘secret’ 70 litre storage space. Pull the cover and it drops down, creating a smaller well, handy for carrier bags.

The innovation doesn’t stop with the design. There are three engines in the Civic range and one of them is a new 1.8 litre petrol unit, especially made for the Civic, which the Japanese company expects to be the best seller. It has Honda’s VTEC technology with extras, which basically means it gives the performance of a 2 litre engine but uses the fuel of a 1.5 litre. I really liked this engine, for its speedy take off, smooth cruising and quiet running. There is also a 1.4 litre engine.

For those preferring a diesel engine, there is a very quiet 2.2 litre i-CTDi which costs £15,035 otr and takes less than nine seconds to reach 62mph from a standing start and accomplishes 55.4mpg in the combined cycle. Currently Honda expects to sell 65% diesel to the corporate market, but with taxation changes at the end of 2005, Honda is monitoring the situation.

The new Civic, which costs from £12,685 otr, will be one of the safest cars in its class and features include front and side airbags and a host of aided braking systems. Honda expects it to achieve Euro NCAP ratings of a top 5 stars for occupant safety.

Because the new Civic is being entirely built in the UK, at Swindon, it will be relatively simple for Honda to decide to change production levels to manufacture more petrol models, if that is what the market wants. The other advantage of a British built car is that from the day you order it, Honda says that in theory, it is possible for it to be delivered within seven days, because there is no huge expanse of water in the way of delivery!

Water or not, I suspect that many Japanese people would be happy to make the journey to purchase this very desirable new car!

By Sue Cooke