FORECOURT
HONDA CIVIC Honda’s 11th-generation Civic brings some big advances. Ted Welford headed to Madrid to see how it all stacks up.
THE KNOWLEDGE Honda Civic e:HEV Advance Price (as tested): £32,995 Engine: 2.0-litre petrolelectric hybrid Power: 181bhp Torque: 315Nm Max speed: 112mph O-60mph: 7.9 seconds MPG (combined): 56.5 Emissions: 114g/km CO2
Under the bonnet
The 2.0-litre petrol engine is paired with two electric motors that give the Civic 181bhp and 315Nm of torque.
WHAT IS IT? Spanning 10 generations, Honda has always managed to keep the Civic relevant. Now it’s back with an 11th iteration, bringing with it a range of advances to ensure it can remain competitive in what remains an ultra-popular segment, particularly to retail customers. WHAT’S NEW? Although the Civic’s design on the outside hasn’t changed dramatically, there are plenty of other changes that have come into play – not least a new touchscreen that replaces the appalling system found in this hatchback before. WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET? There’s just the one option – a 2.0-litre petrol engine paired with two small electric motors plus a battery. It’s brisker than the previous 1.5-litre petrol Civic, with 0-60mph taking 7.9 seconds in our Advance car, and capable of 112mph. As for fuel efficiency, the Civic fares very well, with CO2 emissions of 114g/km on our top-spec test car, or just 108g/km on models fitted with the smaller wheels. We quite easily exceeded the 56.5mpg fuel economy figure, too, on our mixed-test route. WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? These self-charging hybrids tend not to be great to drive, but this Honda is a big step up, especially compared with the brand’s other hybrid models. It’s smooth, isn’t shy of performance and is generally very pleasant. Ask a lot from it with your right foot and it does get quite vocal, but it’s otherwise quiet and refined, with minimal road noise, too. The steering has a good degree of weight to it, making it good fun through the corners, and while there’s body roll if pushed, it’s undoubtedly one of the better cars behind the wheel in this class. At the same time, the ride is excellent, getting the balance about right between soft and firm. HOW DOES IT LOOK? In terms of design, it’s definitely more evolutionary than revolutionary, but it’s a very smartlooking car nonetheless. It’s more or less the same size as the outgoing model, although the roof is slightly lower, helping to give it more of a coupe-like appearance and adding to the street cred. The front end is sportier than the outgoing car, too, with additional black
32 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
