Honda South Africa, in fact Honda globally as a whole, survived the 2011 Japanese earthquake and subsequent Thai floods by the plastic of its
bumper. Thank goodness it did, because had it not, we wouldn’t be able to
report on this great addition to the family.
So here, finally, is the brand new Civic
hatchback.
If Volkswagen’s Golf
was a right-hander, the Civic hatch - as opposed to the Jetta-rivaling sedan - would be its left-hand equivalent. For the
Japanese are renowned for their innovation,
performance and balance. The new
Civic ticks all three boxes without blinking,
all three except the performance
one. Honda SA will know I’ve been hard on them regarding the lack of vuma
displayed by their 1.8-litre
naturally aspirated petrol. When I’ve suggested they go ask their parents to
seriously consider turbos to boost performance and fuel economy,
their (official?) answer has always been “how about maintenance costs?”
And yet, they also sell the outstanding 2.2 iDTEC turbo diesel engine with 110kW and a commanding 350Nm
of sweet mama torque. What, they can
build a cost-effective turbo diesel but not a similar petrol turbo? Pah!
Anyway, I do believe they will soon join the force-fed brigade, especially since Honda wants to make a bigger
impact in Europe where C02 emissions are as strict as an army sergeant with four daughters.
Nonetheless, I did drive both the 104kW /174Nm 1.8-litre i-VTEC
petrol and 2.2 iDTEC at the launch in wintery Johannesburg, and came away very impressed. Honda is really about
improving each and every area with every edition. The Civic is now in its 9th generation, but it used
to be called Ballade in South Africa since 1982 when Honda first arrived in the
country. Of course we now have the smaller entry-level Ballade, and thus the larger car is now named along the same lines
as other international markets.
Continuous improvement means an overall lighter Civic compared to its predecessor. At the same time, better
quality materials have been used to
upgrade the cabin experience, and elevate it to unprecedented heights. When I
first opened the driver’s door for instance, and began touching the textiles, I did notice a softer, homely interior, more welcoming. Yet,
there is still something futuristic
about the way these cars are designed. Soft blue lighting surrounds the
dashboard area, which now features a thing called Integrated Multi Info Display
or iMID, actuated via a toggle on
the multi-function steering wheel.
It does what it says, which is to access all sorts of info about how the car is
doing at any particular moment, including fuel
consumption, speed, outside temperature etc. Also integrated are Bluetooth
functions, a USB port for your music collection, climate control and others. Very handy. Honda SA does not offer satellite navigation though.
Where the Civic hatch excels, really where most Hondas take
the cake apart from bullet-proof
build, is in driving enjoyment. And this new car is no exception to this
confirmed rule. The petrol engine roars towards the red line in an exciting crescendo fashion, not once pausing for
a breath of air. By the time 2nd and 3rd gears are due, smiles are all sold out.
The stubby,
short-shifting gear lever instantly unifies driver with the front wheels at all
times, making sure both are singing from the same hymn book. It really
does beg for a more powerful motor, although I am one to admit that it’s not
exactly pitched at the itchy-foot types. In the 2.2 iDTEC turbo diesel
however, is where Civic shines. The
sipper only comes with a 6-speed manual
gearbox, and pull is quite magnificent, while the return on fuel invested quite
satisfying. Claimed average fuel usage is 4.7
litres per 100km, while the 0 - 100km/h sprint supposedly goes by in 8.7 seconds.
I suppose for now, in the absence of a screaming Type-R, this would be the performance choice.
Speaking of which, I hope said Type-R brings us joy to the tune of over 180kW, in line with its current main competitors. Otherwise it’s better off just
warming the bench off the field.
Honda has not exactly lit up the tree with its range of
offerings lately. The brand is quite some way off when it comes to offering different
products for ever-expanding different market segments. For example, there is no Honda equivalent of the VW Scirocco, or the Toyota Fortuner, or
the Hyundai i10. However, we’ve been promised a swift change of ways in the form of new and exciting cars. One of these is the upcoming all-new NSX sports car, said to be powered by a hybrid engine of over 280kW. Mzansi is definitely being strongly considered for this halo car.
Similarly Acura, Honda’s Lexus
equivalent, is expanding beyond its traditional home base of the United States, and again, we might see
this premium brand enter our market
within as early as 2015.
Test-drive the
new Honda Civic hatch for yourself and feel the tingle of excitement within
your fingers. Try both engines, or wait for the smaller 1.6 iDTEC (88kW / 300Nm) turbo diesel, arriving by February 2013. The
1.8 won’t go as fast as you might wish, but it will be much more fun to pilot
than a number of its direct rivals. Plus it looks way cooler, especially when painted in most of the 9 available colours and fitted with the Sports Pack.
Honda Civic hatch Pricing
1.8 Elegance manual (R248 000)
1.8 Elegance automatic (R261 000)
1.8 Executive manual (R270 000)
1.8 Executive automatic (R283 000)
2.2 i-DTEC Exclusive manual (R343 800)
1.8 Elegance automatic (R261 000)
1.8 Executive manual (R270 000)
1.8 Executive automatic (R283 000)
2.2 i-DTEC Exclusive manual (R343 800)
5 comments:
If only the 1,8 was more powerful to give the Golfs a real run for their moneys
I can't say this is a real Vtec like the old ones
A fair review, however this isn't the 6th gen civic, it's the 9th gen. Also no mention of the enormous amount of space in the back when the "magic seats" are folded down, it's a pretty big selling point, I mean Honda changed the whole rear suspension to allow for this.
And there will be a 1.6 i- dtec engine coming out probably early next year.
Thanks Anon. Updated on Generation.
I like the interior. very boss
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