Honda Civic manual hatch 2012 review

Sex usually sells, but not in the case of the British-made Honda Civic hatch. 

The sexiest of the small-car hatches is expected to only account for one in three Civic sales, compared with the more sedate-looking and slightly less practical and less flexible sedan made in Thailand. Honda Australia director Stephen Collins says the Civic hatch has previously been priced as a more niche product. He says the lower price will give this model more mass-market appeal, but still not as high as the sedan.

He expects to sell about 400 hatches a month while the sedan, launched in February, will sell about 1000 a month. Surprisingly the Poms have got it right with only their locally made hatch being available in Britain. Collins says there are no plans yet for the even sexier Type R hatch, but if there are, Australia would take it.

Value

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• Honda Civic VTi-L 2012 review

Buyers can expect a saving of as much as $5000 when the ninth-generation Honda Civic hatch arrives in Australia in June. Collins says it will start at "the mid-$20,000s" compared with the previous five-door Si hatch which sold out at prices starting from $29,990. He says this is the result of the strong Australian dollar and "an aggressive pricing strategy" and follows recent price reductions of up to $4300 on the Accord. We can only imagine how cheap the hatch would be if it was built in Thailand like the sedan, rather than Swindon, west of London.

It will arrive in two trim levels - VTi and VTi-L - with six-speed manual available in the base model with hill-start assist and a five-speed also available in the VTi-L. Unfortunately, VTi doesn't come with cruise control which is standard in most of its competitor because Honda Australia wanted to "keep the price competitive", says Collins. The VTi-L adds leather seats,rain-sensing wipers, dual zone air con, front fog lights, 17-inch wheels, rear camera, leather seats, cruise control and a premium audio system with subwoofer in the boot. A locally developed satnav will be available as an accessory.

Technology

There has been little change here. It features the same 1.8-litre VTEC naturally aspirated engine, with slight tweaks that give it just 1kW more of power and the same amount of torque. The improvement in fuel economy of 0.8L/100km in the manual and 0.7L/100km in the auto is a substantial 10 per cent gain, due mainly to aerodynamics in the body and underbody. Honda Europe spokesman Christoph Rust says "two or three" former F1 engineers were involved in the aerodynamic design. 

It also has an ECO Assist button which reduces air conditioning drain, changes the characteristics of the throttle and displays how economically you are driving. But the fuel-saving auto stop-start function available in Euro models will not be coming to Australia in a further effort to keep a lid on prices. Instead, a 1.6-litre diesel engine with manual transmission will be available in the first half of next year, says Collins. Technology inside is presented on two information screens and there is USB and iPod connectivity plus Bluetooth audio streaming in the VTi-L.

Design

This is the Miranda Kerr of the small hatch world - petite, pretty from every angle and just enough curves to be sexy as hell. Unlike Kerr, the Civic hatch sits lower and wider than before. The most polarizing feature of the design is its tasty rump with the new combination lamp design and brake-light cluster.

It retains the hidden rear door handle now adopted in the stunning Hyundai Veloster. The cabin has a familiar Honda feel which is not luxurious, but certainly a quality build. It now adds soft-touch trim and extra-smooth leather with more comfortable stitching in the VTi-L. Hatch comes in seven colours – Yellow Topaz, Alabaster Silver, Crystal Black, Deep Sapphire Blue, Milano Red, Polished Metal and White Orchid - with a black interior. The VTi has cloth trim while the VTi-L gets leather trim and heated front seats. Honda’s flexible rear folding seats add practicality to the interior layout.

Safety

Collins says it will receive a five-star Australian safety rating based on European results. The Civic hatch has the same level of safety equipment as the sedan with six airbags, including full-length curtain airbags. It also has a strong body, stability control, tyre deflation warning system and a reversing camera for the VTi-L. That camera should be standard in both trims as the rear hatch creates a huge blind spot. Rust says the rear window has been increased to reduce the blind spot, but it still presents a large blind spot for following traffic which can't be fixed by a reversing camera. Also, the rear wiper only sweeps the top half of the split window. Under the massive, flat cargo floor is a temporary spare.

Driving

At 206km/h on the autobahn between Nuremberg and Munich, the Honda is fizzing at over 6000 revs in sixth gear but still not king of the road. Here it's at its upper limits and having to get out of the way of rapidly encroaching Vorsprung Durch types. But these are unfamiliar and irrelevant conditions for Australia where it will run in the 100km/h highway traffic with ease. The suspension is tweaked a little tighter than in the sedan, but it's still a compliant ride, although it is difficult to determine just how plush it will feel on our lumps and bumps. Rust says the rear suspension bushes are filled with fluid for a smooth ride over corrugations.

We drive only the six-speed manual over almost 1000km in Germany, mainly on autobahns, and find the ratios well suited to grand touring. But with Australia's limited speed zones, sixth and even fifth cogs may be a little too high for regular use. Honda's rev-happy engine is better when worked around 4500rpm in gears one through to four. The pedals and the gearshift feel a little mushy and light, but some drivers prefer that feel. We would prefer a more positive and direct sensation. Steering is tighter, but the ratios are the same, resulting in a confident and stable feel even at 200km/h-plus. 

Cabin noise is low, even at high speed. It only becomes a concern on some coarse tarmac and over abrupt changes of surface such as cobblestones. We found the driving position ok, but the steering wheel reach adjustment too short and the seats way too hard with a protruding and non-adjustable lumbar support. Our backsides were crying for relief after an hour in the saddle. For those who like the steering wheel positioned high, it also gets in the way of the speedo.