Hiroaki Shibata is a brave man. As Honda’s top man in South Africa, he must have thought long and hard before announcing that he expects to sell 4Â 000 new Civics this year, quadrupling last year’s sales. After looking at the car, checking out its specifications and driving it, I think he’s being honest, not brash. The new Civic is streets better than the model it replaces, and buyers would have to go far to find a better car for the money.
The Civic is wider, longer and lower than its predecessor, and boasts an all-new gem of a 1,8-litre engine that delivers 103kW at 6Â 300 r/min and torque of 174Nm at 4Â 300 r/min. Honda’s made use of its formula-one and motorcycle technology to develop an engine that delivers the performance of a sporty two-litre unit, with the economy of a mundane 1,5-litre budget car.
The car is indeed quick, reaching 100kph in less than eight seconds, and this, along with its sportscar-like handling and crisp, five-speed manual transmission, makes it a brilliant driver’s car. I’m not a fan of auto transmission in four-cylinder cars with an engine capacity of below three litres or so, but the Honda’s five-speed auto works better than most.
The comprehensive list of features that come standard in all three variants also makes the new Honda a very useful luxury sedan.
The entry-level LXi comes with air conditioning, an MP3 compatible radio/front-loader CD player with four speakers, electric windows all round, power steering with a tilt and reach-adjustable steering wheel, dual front airbags, ABS brakes with EBD and brake-assist, and active front headrests to reduce whiplash. Take a drive in this and then look at what else you get for the same money and you’ll understand exactly why the Civic car is worth raving about.
Next in the range comes the Civic EXi, at R176Â 900, with the additional outlay getting you an illuminated steering lock, an outside temperature readout, dual side airbags, and colour-coded mirrors and door handles. The flagship VXi costs R193Â 900, and comes with extra speakers, climate control rather than air conditioning, 16″ alloy wheels, dual curtain airbags front and rear, a full leather interior, variable intermittent windscreen wipers and numerous other luxuries.
All three derivatives are available with the automatic transmission for R12Â 000 more. The cars come with a five-year/100Â 000km service plan.