Fun to drive Honda Civic has turbo to thank
Turbo charged engine transforms new Honda Civic and recaptures the charisma and soul that’s been missing.
What is it?
Nine generations later and the Honda Civic continues to be the reliable stepping stone in the line-up; the model that sets the direction and tone for everything that follows. If this Civic is good you can bet the stuff in the pipeline will be too.
Accounting for 23 million units, sold in 170 different countries the 2016 Honda Civic is a globally recognised nameplate but with the recent demise of Honda Accord in South Africa, Civic now has to perform a broader role and fill in gaps that the previous model didn’t need to. That’s a lot of pressure but armed with new engines and the latest generation platform, Civic isn’t intimidated by the challenge…
What’s it like?
In recent years, Honda’ s enthusiasm has stumbled whenever talk turned to the drivetrain. Simply put they were outdated, sluggish and noisy. In South Africa the new Honda Civic is the first model to receive the 1.5-litre turbo charged engine with 127kW/220Nm and a 0-100km/h time of 8.2 seconds.
Honda’s persistence with CVT is finally paying off, thanks in part to a stout torque delivery that stays constant from 1700rpm. It whines less, power delivery is immediate and there’s no sign of that elastic power delivery which typified old CVT transmissions.
Honda Civic now has a character, it’s fun to drive…some may call it fast. We glanced down at the speedo a few times and promptly backed off – so confident was its road holding and high speed stability. At these speeds Civic still returned around 7.5l/100km so Honda’s claim of 5.9 shouldn’t require any special antics.
The 1.8-litre normally aspirated engine with 104kW and 174Nm hangs on for another generation but lower friction internals does see an improvement in fuel consumption to 6.3l/100km. We didn’t drive it and really neither should you since it’s 2 seconds slower to 100km/h and won’t cope with the CVT gearbox with quite the same composure.
Steering is wonderfully direct because it shares a lot of geometry with the Type R and a lower weight, greater torsional rigidity allows you to drive this C-segment sedan like a pseudo fast hatchback. Yes Honda, more of this recipe in future.
Matching earlier Accord models for size, diagrams of the latest Honda Civic depict arrows stretched in all directions from wheelbase, overall length, knee room, elbow room and boot space. Honda has always had an eye for crafty interior packaging and it’s no different here.
Honda’s updated Human Machine Interface is faster, boasts clearer graphics and successfully solves the usual frustrations that come with integrating day to day functions into a touchscreen. Climate? There’s a small button for that below which brings up the relevant touchscreen menu. We don’t like the fact you can’t access all the functions on the move and the steering controls are still weirdly shaped and let down the higher quality fabrics and finishes found elsewhere.
When the new Honda Civic reaches showrooms in SA, buyers will have the choice of 1.8-litre Comfort and Elegance with the 1.5-litre turbo engine fitted to Sport and Executive. The former is differentiated by an oddly shaped rear wing, piano black around the grille and aluminium finishes to the interior while Executive answers its higher price with lane departure warning, collision avoidance, adaptive cruise control and navigation. Remote start and auto lock are other new convenience features.
Should I buy one?
Unfortunate that Honda’s best car in the last few years competes in a segment that shows no growth but this latest Civic is perhaps the turning point for the Japanese carmaker; whether you’re an Accord owner looking for the same equipment and size at less cost or an existing Civic owner wanting an affordable upgrade.
All models come with a 5-yr 90 000km service plan and 5-yr 200 000km warranty
Pricing
1.8 Comfort CVT – R330 000
1.8 Elegance CVT – R370 000
1.5T Sport CVT – R430 000
1.5T Executive CVT – R460 000
