Car review: Honda Civic
The new Honda Civic has arrived in South Africa and it’s looking goooood! It has that typical Honda front face and Honda’s signature lighting but with a very sleek rear glass house design. It sure has a sporty look about it and I like it!
This is the 10th generation Civic. Since it launched back in 1973 it has sold more than 23 million units, crikey! It came to South Africa in the year I was born, 1982 (sshhuuuu), but was named the Ballade at the time. It has a few accolades to its name including winning South African Car of the Year with its 8th generation . It is sold in over 70 countries and regions and Honda Motors SA president, Toshiaki Konaka, believes that this new Civic will be no exception when it comes to the successful sales seen in other parts of the world like the USA.
Step inside and you will experience a more upmarket and luxurious cabin compared to its predecessor. My only major issue is with the touchscreen, but this isn’t a new gripe for me, I have a problem with most touchscreens. Why can’t we just stick with knobs? I struggle trying to turn the volume up or down and it’s all just a bit fiddly. But overall, you tend to feel like you are in a car above the segment the Honda Civic falls in to.
Speaking of which, with the Accord being discontinued, the Honda Civic will now cover both the C-Segment and D-Segment. It’s bigger than its predecessor, the wheelbase has increased by 30mm and the length by 109 mm. It is spacious inside and legroom is generous. The boot offers up to 430-litres which is up by about 20% from the outgoing model.
There is an all-new 1,5-litre turbo engine on offer which produces 127 kW of power and 220 N.m of torque. It claims a fuel consumption of just 5,9l/100 km. This engine is fitted to the higher specced models such as the Executive which includes standard features such as adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, forward collision warning and lane watch with side-sensing cameras.
But if you want the look and not the price tag, you can opt for the less specced 1,8-litre naturally aspirated models which have been refined and updated. It now produces 140 kW of power and 174 N.m of torque. With 80% of Honda’s sold in SA being automatics, the new Civic is only available mated to a CVT transmission.
One of my favourite features, due to being the victim of remote jamming, is the Auto Lock feature. Also pretty nifty is Remote Engine Start which allows you to start the engine and the air conditioning before you enter the car. Amazing for those hot summer days! No more burning of the backside!
It’s a comfortable drive and you may be forgiven for thinking you are in an Accord and not a Civic. Which means you are getting a bit more luxury for your buck.
Pricing for the Honda Civic starts at R330 000 for the entry level 1,8 Comfort CVT and tops at R460 000 for the 1,5T Executive CVT. If you are willing to fork out the extra R100 000 or so for the top of the range model you won’t be disappointed, however, the entry-level models are just as comfortable and lovely to drive so is there a need to spend the extra money? I wouldn’t say so.