Model Update

Something a bit more exciting comes along every now and then, and the 2011 Honda Civic Si is one of those cars that stands out as a special, racy little number. Nothing else on the road captures innovative design quite like the Honda Civic Si does. From any angle this little car looks brilliant.

Inside the interior is a well thought out, impeccably presented design package that, again, looks to be a leader in its class. I love the neat layout of the dials, instrumentation and switchgear. A blue lighting undertone looks superb against the darker quality materials. The digital speed readout looks very modern and cool. Room is also good.

What you’ll find under the hood is a fiery 1.8 litre i-VTEC engine that features intelligent valve timing. Peak power is rated at 103kW, while you can expect just 6.9 litres of fuel per 100km on average will be consumed.

It doesn’t take long when talking to a number of people who own Honda cars before you will quickly appreciate that these owners are very happy with their automotive purchase. Their cars are exceptionally reliable; they are agile and they are luxurious cars, too.

Replacement models sometimes have a hard job to match outgoing models. In the case of the new Honda Civic Si, this is a car that has no problems in keeping the fast, rapid design of the old model and combining rounded edges to create a sparkling, hot new design which is state-of-the-art in its purpose.

When parked beside any other car, you would be forgiven for thinking that the new Honda Civic Si boasts a very definitive new-millennium design that leaves the other cars simply looking dated. The flowing, aerodynamic design is crisp and sporty looking. It has the looks that portray a readiness to hit the road at pace, and the slim-line xenon headlights and triangular driving lights look really cool too!

The Honda Civic Si seems smaller than it really is, and its clever design hides the class-leading cabin space really well. From the inside, the car is light and roomy. Only with the front seats moved all the way back, does a rear occupant’s knees start touching the back of the front seats – even if the rear passenger may be of considerable stature. Visually, the inside of the car seems bigger than in the previous model. The seats fold back and forth as you wish, and transporting long objects in the Honda Civic Si is a breeze. You just manipulate the seats to work best for coping with the length of your object.

When sitting in the roomy Civic Si interior, you will notice that the ceiling is high. This is one of the coolest things about this car, and it is the main factor responsible for the impression of space that you get inside the chic Civic Si cabin. For the average sized person, there appears to be some 15 cm above your head when you’re seated in position. Copious levels of light streams in from the large windows, and this makes the inside of the car seem all the more bright and spacious. You even get the feeling that you’re not just driving but mingling with the people outside on the pavement. The large clear windows allow you to see everything so well.

The ventilation system works well, and there is even an air duct to the hind passengers’ feet. The dashboard is extravagant in proportion – just the way I like it. It extends 40-50 cm beyond the steering wheel. When seated in the very comfortable driver’s seat, the bonnet is actually out of sight, giving you a clear view of the road through the front windscreen. Armrests are present for the driver and, all in all, the Civic Si makes for a great, ergonomically sound drive.

A nice Honda Civic Si feature is the ability of the wipers to operate in 9 modes (that is, at 9 different intervals). The seats look exceptionally classy in leather, and there are headrests for all three rear seat passengers. Electric windows, climate control, an onboard computer, an awesome stereo and a digital speedometer make this Civic a pleasant place to spend plenty of quality time. There is even cruise control and a climate controlled glove box. Loads of extras for the exterior, as well as the interior, make this a seriously eye catching machine.

On the road the Honda Civic Si is a superior performer. In “drive mode” it can reach up to 4,000 – 4,500 rpm without really working the engine too hard at all. Flick into sport mode, and the Honda’s feisty engine steps up into the 6,000 – 6,500 rpm level with ease. It feels really fast, and remains this way until you take the foot off the throttle. 200 km/h is a mere formality in the Si Civic variant. The inline four-cylinder i-VTEC engine has 1.8 litres to play with, and with a maximum power of 103kW at 6300 rpm the car is ready to make others eat some serious dust.

Sporty in flavour, the engine still meets a Euro 4 emissions standard. Driving is exceptionally fun with the 5-speed Grade Logic Control unit designed for the auto gearbox. The engine has a Honda-programmed fuel injection engine-management system that makes for very good fuel consumption capability. Country running is as little as 5.7 litres/100 km for both the manual and auto versions.

For one of the best sporty hatchbacks the Honda Civic Si has to be a contender for any serious new car buyer looking for the striking design that will give the edge, and roomy, swift transport that can be used reliably day in, day out. Remember, Honda equals reliability.

The current model series includes the:

• Honda Civic Si 6-speed Manual
• Honda Civic Si 5-speed Auto

For any more information on the Honda Civic Si, 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 quote 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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