Honda Civic Review Update

Modern looks coupled with loads of talent and reliability make the 2011 Honda Civic a technologically advanced small sedan that you’re ‘gonna’ love to drive.

Enough room for five, the Civic has seats that offer comfy support and class-leading leg room. A handy 376 litres of boot space gives the latest Honda Civic a good level of practicality. And, inside the interior there are features like: air-conditioning, central locking, cruise control, cup holders, speed-sensitive audio volume controls and heat absorbing windows to make a level of comfort and luxury that pops the Civic right into the leading bunch.

Front wheel drive traction and very efficient VTi engines allow the Civic to perform swift and efficient travel. With 103 kW available in the 1.8 litre engine and 114 kW at-the-ready in the 2.0 litre engine, both of which are petrol fed, the latest Honda Civic can be driven along nice and smartly. MacPherson struts at the front and a double wishbone layout at the rear give a supple ride that is grippy enough for the demanding driver, and soft enough for the bumpy city streets.

Excellent safety features and good pricing give quite a tempting package to the buyer who is after a classy small sedan.

The Honda Civic has been a favourite of many a loyal Honda fan. The little Civic was introduced over thirty years ago as a tiny two-door coupe. Later, the Honda Civic came in hatchback and sedan, as well as station wagon form. Although well engineered, the earliest Civics were constructed of light sheet metal and perhaps the safety design then was somewhat lacking. The older Civics, however, were incredibly frugal and not many cars could beat them in the economy and reliability stakes.

Fast forward thirty years and now the Honda Civic has completely fixed its structural woes and is now a superbly safe and athletic vehicle. But the Honda Civic still continues to be a very economical and reliable drive. Step inside any Honda Civic and take it out for a review on a test-drive, and you’ll soon become aware of how effortlessly the Honda Civic glides along the road, offering both superb performance and economy. And the Honda Civic is among the most reliable cars available.

The Honda Civic has two gutsy petrol motors and one flyer available. In the VTi and VTi-L models, a 1.8 litre 4 cylinder VTEC engine is housed under the bonnet. This superbly refined and responsive unit produces 103 kW at 6300 rpm and is willing to be revved happily to the redline. The peppy motor has 174 Nm of torque on tap at 4200 revs. Perhaps the engine can best be put through its paces with a five-speed manual gearbox, but there is a five-speed automatic transmission with grade logic control available that has quick and smooth gear changes.

The 2.0 litre motor found in the Honda Civic Sport in Australia has114 kW of power available at 6200 rpm and 188 Nm of torque on tap at 4200 rpm, this is truly an inspiring drive and takes small car travel to a new dimension. The sporty little Honda Civic drives with loads of grip and is happy to be thrown around a winding road. The engine works hard to propel the Sport model of the Honda Civic with speed and agility.

The Honda Civic Type R is also a real gem. With 148 kW of power the engine is responsive and super swift, it is married to a six-speed manual gearbox that transfers the power to the road via the front wheels in a very smooth and accurate fashion. The Honda Civic Type R is a well balanced drive that is deceptively quick. The 0-100 km/h can be completed well under eight seconds, making the car very capable of embarrasing larger “sportier” cars.

The body style of the Honda Civic incorporates a harmonious collection of gentle curves that are easy on the eye and give smooth aerodynamic performance. Attention to detail is high, even down to the teardrop shaped halogen headlamps and the reflective inner cube design of the stylish red tail lights.

Honda has, over the last two decades, produced vehicles with high comfort levels, pampering the occupants with plenty of technological features. Apart from the usual electric windows and superb sound systems, the Honda Civic also has air conditioning as standard on all models, where the VTi-L and Sport models benefit from an automatic climate control system. It’s fun to drive, particularly when the digital speedo in the dash flicks quickly through the digits as the acceleration is poured on. Tilt and telescopic steering, cruise control, cupholders, and a centre console and arm rest are there for your comfort in all models.

Unlike the Honda Civic of old, the modern incarnations are packed with safety enhancements. ABS and EBD brakes provide awesome stopping ability. The base model of Honda Civic has front airbags for driver and passenger, and the Honda Civic VTi-L and Sport models feature side airbags in the front. When you review the safety specs, you’ll find that yhe Honda Civic Sport has curtain airbags front and rear as well. All five seating positions have three-point seatbelts, and anti-whiplash active headrests. In the unfortunate event of an accident the Honda Civic’s G-force control absorbs the force of the impact superbly, cocooning you and other occupants within the stout bodyshell.

For those of you that are concerned with environmental issues and the effect that cars can have on the atmosphere, Honda has created the Honda Civic Hybrid car that is powered by a 1.3 litre 85 kW engine. The Honda Civic Hybrid is powered by both petrol and an electric battery. This option will help you to be easy on the environment but still have the style, comfort and performance that the Honda Civic delivers.

Current model series include:

• Honda Civic Hybrid 1.3
• Honda Civic Sport 2.0
• Honda Civic VTi 1.8
• Honda Civic VTi-L 1.8
• Honda Civic Type R

So that’s our Honda Civic review! For anymore information on the Honda Civic, or for that matter any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quotes requests out to our national network of Honda dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!

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