Honda Civic Type S
On sale now

FAB, PAB and PROUD is a fast expanding breed of wealthy singles, typically successful in business, but who are failing miserably in the relationship stakes. Professional and Busy (PAB) describe single professionals with no time, or inclination, to arrange their own social calendar and who are too picky to meet new people.

It is this professional singleton that Honda is hoping will buy the new Civic Type S. Those with no kids and who are image and brand conscious, but above all enjoy driving a performance car.

S’ does stand for sport, but should not to be confused with the sport grade model of the conventional Civic. The Type S is superior, it has sportier looks but it also has better agility and handling.

There are two models, the Type S and Type S GT. The GT adds comfort and extra features.

The exterior is gorgeous. There is a more sharply tapering rear side window and bold gun metal colour side skirts with lower sills and front and rear bumpers. A huge spoiler sits across the rear window, which slightly gets in the way of clear vision.

Standard 17 inch alloy wheels and a low and wide track give a lot more feeling of stability on the road. The new seats are designed to effectively surround the pelvis to improve support during cornering and the seating material is made to grip and hold. The leather steering wheel and the black Alcantara upholstery gain sporty silver stitching to set the tone.

As it’s derived from the same body shell, the Type S enjoys all of the Civic 5 door’s packaging benefits such as 1,352 litres of luggage space and an extra 70 litre storage compartment beneath the boot floor. The glovebox too will take 14 litres and there is a double cup holder and large capacity console box capable of accommodating 22 CDs.

There is a dual zone two tier display dashboard with large white numbers and a blue fluorescent back light which looks really impressive. A multitude of colours glow back at you from the information dials providing an exciting and interesting interior. Pedals are aluminium and all models feature audio remote control switches on the left hand spoke of the very unusually designed steering wheel.

The Civic Type S is one of the safest cars in its class and is equipped with a wealth of safety braking features. There are also front, side and curtain SRS airbags.

A Formula 1 style button starts the engine, so you know you are going to have a sporty ride. I drove the 1.8 litre petrol engine which contains the finest of Honda’s VTEC technology and now includes a further innovation to boost environmental performance. CO2 emissions are 153g/km. Acceleration from 0-62mph is achieved in 8.9 seconds and says Honda it will reach a top speed of 127 mph.

Because the diesel market is growing so rapidly, Honda has put its acclaimed 2.2 litre diesel engine into the new Civic Type S. It will achieve fuel consumption of 54.3mpg with combined use, but it’s no tortoise and will accelerate from standstill to 62mph in 8.6 seconds.

On motorways, both engines are quiet and the ride is comfortable, but on country roads it is agile and torquey.

If the PAB generation is looking for a car that is made in Britain, is sporty, practical and stylish, then I predict that Honda will easily achieve the 4,500 Type S Civics that it hopes to sell in 2007.

By Sue Cooke