Honda Civic Reviews

This year has seen the launch of Audi's S3, the Mini Cooper S, Mazda3 MPS, Ford's Fiesta XR4 slotting in just below the Focus XR5, the Volkswagen Golf GT joining its even hotter sibling — the legendary GTi — and Volvo has even entered the fray with the funky C30.Not to be left out, Honda has joined the field with the first Civic Type-R to come here (although many people will have fond memories of the Integra that also wore the R badge here for several years).Coming in $10 under the psychological $40,000 barrier, that badge is intended to give an echo of Honda's racing heritage — and a warning right from the start that this Civic is no docile little shopping trolley.It looks wouldn't leave you in doubt about that anyway, with bold futuristic styling, especially around the tail where myriad angles and planes suggest that the car might unfold Transformer-like and reveal the true little beast within.The rear wing adds to the sporty look but severely limits vision for reversing, or even keeping an eye on the few vehicles that might attempt to overtake you.The enveloping Alcantara sports bucket front seats — with harness-ready holes — almost suction you into place, and with tilt and reach adjustment on the steering it's easy to find your perfect driving position.Rear seat passengers don't fare as well. It's a bit of an awkward task to clamber in there, and once you succeed there's not a lot of legroom to reward you.Likewise the boot capacity is fairly limited — even though it carries a space-saver spare — although dropping the rear seat helps.Despite the abundance of nasty plastics, the cabin still has a thoroughly sporty feel, aided particularly by the red-lit instruments. At night you can indulge in fighter pilot fantasies.The Type-R comes equipped as standard with automatic airconditioning, cruise control, sports suspension, trip computer, drilled aluminium pedals, foglights and leather wrapped gearshift and multi-function steering wheel.The safety list includes stability control, six airbags, and anti-skid brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist.The car is built in the UK — although the power heart and soul are shipped there from Japan — and a plate in the cabin bears the individual build number.Where many of its rivals get a turbo boost, the Type-R carries a punchy little naturally aspirated V-Tec engine — a high-revving 2.0-litre four cylinder that develops 148kW of power at 7800rpm and 193Nm of torque at 5600rpm.This is claimed to get it to 100km/h in 6.6 seconds and to a top speed of 235km/h.Where it definitely will get you — if you're not careful to keep it leashed — is explaining yourself to a very nice person in a rather fetching blue uniform.The little monster just demands to leap forward and attack the bitumen from the minute you raise the garage door.Luckily, you need to have the tacho sitting well over 4000rpm to really get the hottest action, but the engine happily revs all the way up to 8000rpm, and inadvertently illegal speeds (honestly, officer, we had no idea) are a risk even in first gear.A slick six-speed close-ratio manual gearbox — with a wonderfully satisfying precision in the shift movement — drives the front set of 18" alloy wheels.With responsive steering and sharp handling, the car almost demands that you tests its limits, and the switchable stability control system doesn't intervene until you've really started testing your own.Low-profile tyres made for a lot of roar on our northern roads, but otherwise the car was reasonably quiet.Any prospective buyer will already expecting the McPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension to be quite hard, and this set-up is a large part of the Type-R's agility through corners, but is tiring on long trips.While the car is an exhilarating drive out on the highway or back roads, around town all the factors behind that enjoyment make it temperamental and tetchy in traffic.But that shouldn't stop the fans. The Type-R has been a sell-out success in Europe, which has limited supply. Australia will get only 100 Type-Rs a month, and there's a waiting list.

With nearly 4000km on the clock, the hybrid has turned in two 700km plus results from a single tank of fuel.We were getting a bit worried because it is rated at 4.6 litres/100km and we haven't been getting anywhere near that. Still, it is early days yet because the car wasn't even run in when we took delivery.Honda tells us that Hybrid owners with 15-20,000km on the clock have been regularly getting the stickered fuel figure.Until recently we were averaging about 6.6 litres/100km from the 50-litre tank (fuel used against kilometres travelled). Since then, we have chalked up a personal best of 754km, with plenty of fuel still to go in the tank.This, of course, is still a long way short of the 1086km theoretically possible, but we live in hope.After 754km we still had 5.7 litres of fuel left and after 700km there was still 7.4 litres in the tank. So, at a rate of about 5.8 litres/100km we still had just under 100km to travel which would have taken our total to about 850km.It means the fuel gauge is either pessimistic or some of the remaining fuel could be permanently inaccessible to the fuel pump. Either way next time we hope to crack 800km and we'll be packing a can of fuel just in case.As in the previous model, the hybrid power train consists of 1.3-litre petrol engine, paired with an electric motor that, together, develops 85kW of power (previous Civic was 69kW).At the same time it is a larger car and weight is up 75kg from 1190 to 1265kg.The engine is teamed with a continuously variable CVT automatic transmission.Unlike its main competitor Toyota Prius, the Civic Hybrid is barely distinguishable from a standard Civic.Only the badge on the back and pancake-like, flat pack alloy wheels give the show away. The wheels are fitted with special low rolling resistance tyres. Performance from the hybrid power train is unexciting but more than adequate.There can be a lag between pushing the throttle and the car responding, which can sometimes make life a little exciting.Inside, the Hybrid has plenty of room for four adults to travel in comfort, with climate control airconditioning, six airbags and a six-stack CD player with MP3 input part of the equipment.At $32,990 it is now most expensive model in the range. But it is still significantly less than the Prius at $37,400. 

The two-seat Insight was an expensive, rather odd-looking thing, with performance and handling best described as interesting.The Civic Hybrid that followed in 2003 was a huge step forward and the second generation, petrol-electric Civic launched last year raises the bar again.Fuel economy has been pegged back even further, but by far and away the biggest appreciable difference is in the packaging of the car.The previous model was a practical but rather boring small sedan while this one is not only easy on the hip pocket, it looks pretty good too.Honda continues to offer its hybrid technology as part of its normal line up, instead of as a dedicated model like Toyota's Prius.The new Civic Hybrid is larger and showier, with a breezier, roomier cabin of which many so-called larger sedans would be proud.But what's it like to drive?Readers may remember that we tested the first Civic Hybrid over a period of several weeks back in 2005.Honda has been good enough to come to the party again with an extended loan of the replacement model.The first Civic delivered a claimed 5.2 litres/100km, while this one is rated at just 4.6 litres/100km.We've yet to put this claim to the test, but looking back we averaged 6.4 litres/100km in the previous model.To look at the Civic Hybrid looks like any other Civic apart from the pancake flat alloys which are fitted with special low rolling resistance tyres.It is a probably worth pointing out at this point that our test vehicle was brand spanking new with just 25km on the clock.So we've not only go the job of testing economy but running it in too.Honda lays claim to the fact that the Civic is Australia's most affordable hybrid vehicle at $31,990 (the Toyota Prius is $37,400).That's the same price as the top of the line Sport, making the choice is a clear one _ power or economy?As in the previous model, the hybrid power train consists of 1.3-litre petrol engine paired with an electric motor that together develop 85kW of power (previous Civic was 69kW).Having said this, it's a larger car and weight is up 75kg from 1190 to 1265kg _ so that offsets some of the power increase.The engine is again teamed with a continuously variable CVT automatic transmission.You also get a few extra goodies like climate control airconditioning, six airbags and a six stack CD player with MP3 input.We're also happy to see the inclusion of cruise control which was missing from the previous model. 

Another week, another hot hatch. The calendar is crammed with touchdown times for compact cars as more and more makers introduce stars in the booming compact class.This time it is Honda putting the punch into its Civic, using a hotrod Type R hatch being shipped from Britain.It has taken more than a year to nail the deal, to give Honda a car to run up against everything from the Ford Focus XR5 to the Volkswagen Golf GTi, but there is plenty to like.The Type R has a hot 2.0-litre engine with 148kW, a six-speed, close-ratio manual gearbox, big brakes, alloy wheels, sports suspension and tightly wrapped bucket seats. All at a benchmark $39,990, despite the potential threat of exchange-rate variations between the pound and dollar.Even better, the Type R looks hot.The three-door hatch has all the flair and fun factor that is missing from the regular Civic sedan, which is built in Japan and aimed at conservative customers who would never consider a Type R.Then again, the youngsters who will fall in love with the R car — despite, or perhaps because of, its raucous, revvy engine and go-kart suspension — would not look twice at a standard Civic.They are expected to shop it against the XR5 and GTi and all the rest of the hatch hotties, but also to run it up against a Subaru WRX or Lancer Evo as a potential funtime friend.Honda says the Civic R will sprint to 100km/h in 6.6 seconds and has a top speed of 235km/h.Fans of the R car are going to have to move fast to get one because Honda Australia is getting only 100 cars a month. It's a simple numbers game because production in Britain is limited by the number of R engines coming from Japan.Then again, Australia has been allocated 1200 cars a year and Singapore — is far smaller than Melbourne — which is getting 800. But bling is beyond big in Singapore.“We believe this car will reinvigorate our brand in Australia,” Honda Australia senior director Lindsay Smalley says. “For Honda Australia this is a branding issue, not a profit issue.”The new Civic hatch is the first Type R in the local Honda line-up since the Integra coupe, which wrote the book on extreme street machines. There were two models and both were beyond harsh and beyond noisy, but sold strongly and gave Honda some much-needed bragging rights.It will be the same with the new Civic, which was aimed at Australia from the day the Type R was unveiled as a motor-show tease.But there are some questions and some concerns.The Australian Type R is punchy, but the Japanese equivalent has more than 160kW, a difference Honda Australia puts down to local fuel. And there is only a manual, no auto.The bodywork comes only in red, silver or black. With a red/black cabin.There are also noticeable production flaws in the British-assembled cabin that would not be seen, nor tolerated, in a Honda built in Japan or even in Thailand, which supplies most of the models sold in Australia.On the roadThe Type R looks great and it is a top drive. The styling finally puts some real Gen-Y excitement into Honda showrooms, in everything from the cabin trimming — and red instrument lights, in place of blue in the regular Civic — to triangular exhaust tips. It is a car that has been built to look good.It would look even better if the plastics in the cabin actually matched and were assembled without blemishes, and if there were no rattles.But the Civic R is really about driving. It is smoother and quieter than we expected, at least from early British reports, but still has great cornering grip, nice balance and instant response to the steering and slick six-speed shift.The engine takes some work and does not even get going until 5500 revs, but will scream happily to the redline at more than 8000.It's in sharp contrast to the turbo engines used in most other hot hatches in 2007, including the XR5 and GTi and Mazda's rampant 3 MPS, which is good and bad.It has more character, sounds great and is fun to thrash through a set of bends.But you have to work harder, there is little torque for instant hit and the engine can be a cop trumpet.The brakes are terrific, there is no more noise from the tyres than expected. The traction control is not intrusive and can be switched off.There is plenty of standard equipment including cruise control, twin-zone airconditioning and the airbags.The back seat is surprisingly roomy once you get in, and the car is easy to park.The driver's seat is set too high, despite a height adjuster and the front buckets — which were excellent Recaro seats in the earlier Integra R — would be a lot better with more than just a click-change adjuster.Still, there is an awful lot to like in the Civic Type R and it is a true fun runner.Honda Australia will have no trouble selling its allocation of 1200 cars and their owners are going to be happy.  Inside viewHonda Civic Type RPrice: $39,990 on sale now.Body: Three-door hatch.Engine: 2.0-litre iVTEC four cylinder.Power: 148kW at 7800 revs.Torque: 193Nm at 5600 revs.Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive.Safety: ESP, ABS, front-side-head airbags.Economy: 9.3 litres/100km (Claimed, ADR81/01 combined). 

It's more saint than sinner and is squarely in Honda Australia's prayers to fill the long-vacant role as a halo car for the brand that once dripped individuality and the promise of high-revving fun. The Civic Type-R is an edgy, look-at-me style statement that will bring the Type-R badge back to local showrooms but, as Honda Australia's senior director Lindsay Smalley says, with a new take on the hot hatch.“We believe buyers are starting to look beyond stripped-out boy racer specials and petrol-guzzling V8s, turning to cars more in tune with today's times,” Smalley says.“Buyers in this sector still want cars that are sporty and fun to drive yet are more refined, comfortable and practical. It's not just all about the power. It is the whole experience and grown-up buyers understand that.”It is the sort of manufacturer comment that typically precedes the unveiling of a model that falls short in key performance, refinement and fun criteria.Such is not the case with the little Civic and early impressions are that Smalley seems justified in believing the halo effect of the Type-R — the first Civic to wear the Type-R badge in eight generations in Australia and the first British-built Honda to come Down Under — will add impetus to Honda's quest to reach an 8 per cent market share by 2010. From the time the car was unveiled as a concept at Geneva in March last year it has been at the top of the Honda Australia priority list, becoming a reality for the local market only after some severe horse trading behind the scenes at the Paris show.Pricing for the car is yet to be finalised but the single specification model is expected to arrive in Australian showrooms by the end of June and will come in at just over $40,000. Meanwhile, Honda's sales predictions for the Civic Type-R are for 100 a month. And make no mistake: Honda hasn't scrimped here, with plenty of standard kit attached to pull in the buyers.Standard fare for the Civic Type-R will include 18-inch alloys with a space-saver spare, shaped Alcantara sports seats, cruise control, trip computer, stability control, six airbags (including full-length curtain bags), ABS, electronic brake-force distribution and assist, remote keyless entry, foglights, drilled aluminium pedals, multi-function wheel, reach- and rake-adjustable steering, 60:40 split rear seats and it comes in any colour you like as long as it is red, black or silver. The interior trim is a single red/black combination, which looks much better than it sounds.In addition, the wrap-around two-tier instrument display is easy to read.Super Aguri F1 driver Anthony Davidson was on hand at the launch.And it's when he starts to laugh out loud pumping through a high-speed, slightly off-camber right-hander that the Type-R's real potential is under the microscope.“What a great little track ... I have to learn this track,” he says, cracking a smile from ear to ear as he guides the Civic around the Hill Circuit at the Millbrook proving grounds in Bedfordshire, England. “I had no idea this was here. It is just so much fun.”It is Davidson's first half hour in the Civic and on the track, and from both, he is already extracting more than most drivers would be capable of in a month of Sundays.“I had an original Civic Type-R — the wild one — and while it was a lot of fun to play with, this one is so much more ... more mature,” he says. “It is a really nice little thing, and what a place to play with it.”At the heart of the Type-R philosophy is Honda's free-spinning i-VTEC technology, with the power band high in the maximum 8000rpm rev range.In the case of the Civic the car does not get on to the business end of the cam until 5400rpm, just when most of its rivals are coming to the end of their effective range.“Keep it smooth and keep the revs up and you will get the best out this engine,” Davidson says. “I love it because it wants you to keep revving it, it's like a baby race engine.”The naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre inline four offers peak power of 148kW at 7800rpm and 193Nm of torque at 5600rpm. While you might expect the Civic to suffer torque-envy against a bank of turbo-charged competitors — Mazda MPS, VW Golf GTi, Subaru WRX, Ford Focus XR5 — with up to 380Nm on tap from much lower in the rev range, there are other charms to be enjoyed.Getting maximum return is a challenge but one that only adds to the enjoyment. Let the engine drop off the cam — anything below 4500rpm — and you will pay a huge penalty.Urge drops away sharply and time's a wasting as you hunt down through the slick six-speed box to get back into the meat of the torque. Raw performance figures do not do the Type-R full justice. A 0-100km/h sprint of 6.6 seconds is reasonable while the claimed top speed of 235km/h seems achievable.But on the open road the Type-R's track-happy suspension displays some real-world issues. On broken surfaces, particularly at low speeds, the ride is unsettled and can progress to uncomfortable on surface types such as the cobbled European roads.Tyre roar is also intrusive on coarse chip surfaces — think Australia. But the steering is nicely weighted and pleasantly direct and the fully switchable traction control is gentle and non-intrusive until it is actually needed.The brakes are a highlight: ventilated 300mm front and solid 260mm rear discs.

Emerging as the pace-setter in the class, Civic VTi hits with a killer price of $20,990 which would make other players in the market wince. Why?Because the Civic is such a good performer.This is the eighth generation of a car that started out in 1972 so Honda has had plenty of time to get it right.This is the biggest Civic, pushing the boundaries to the next size up. It’s line ball whether Civic has more room inside than the larger Honda Accord Euro. It has a flat floor for added interior room and is wider than ever. The boot is large and the rear seat folds, opening an even larger load area. It has numerous storage options and clever, practical touches dotted about the cabin. Just because it’s the base model doesn’t mean the VTi is boned-out. It scores airconditioning, anti-lock brake system, dual airbags, a decent audio system, power windows and mirrors and remote central locking. The engine is a bottler, kicking out 103kW/174Nm while sipping an average of 7.0 litres/100km. The manual test car showed a clean pair of wheels to plenty of other cars. It has a distinct sporty flavour to its dynamics and engine performance. It looks good inside and out with a broad, squat stance and slightly angry looking face. Aerodynamics are clean with benefits to noise reduction and fuel economy. A treat to drive, the squared off wheel is great in your hands and the slick changing five-speed manual is like a rifle bolt in operation. Its clutch is light, the brakes are powerful and the electronic throttle is sensitive. It grips the road tenaciously thanks to double wishbone suspension and steers with precision. It takes five adults at a pinch and is comfortable and quiet to travel in. The dash is deep but looks OK particularly with the multiple meter console and large controls. Civic weighs 140kgs more than the previous model but the beef hasn’t dulled its performance or economy.

That is a vexed question and the answer in cold hard economic terms is no. It would take decades to recoup the price differential especially given the fuel efficiency of new sub- 1.8-litre engines.But there is another attraction with hybrid cars and that is their green credentials. If everyone drove one, there'd be no greenhouse crisis, cities wouldn't be cloaked in a grey/ brown patina, oil reserves would last years longer and human health would be better.So, looked at in that light, hybrid cars are worth the money.Honda is one of only three manufacturers with a hybrid petrol/electric car available in Australia. The new Civic Hybrid sedan hit the market this week selling for $31,990.It looks just like the other Civic sedans except for special alloy wheels and is made in Japan, not Thailand.This is the second Hybrid Civic from Honda and is a step up technologically though the mechanical essentials are similar to the previous model.Motive power comes from a 1.3-litre petrol four cylinder with variable valve timing hooked up to an electric motor driving the front wheels through a CVT auto transmission.A battery pack captures and stores electricity from the engine under deceleration and when braking.The car is capable of running purely on electricity at less than 40km/h.Power output is a healthy 85kW with 170Nm of torque - up substantially on the previous model. Average fuel consumption despite more power and weight is better at around 5.2L/100km.On the road, the hybrid is an interesting drive partly because of the one-gear CVT that allows the engine to rev freely and also because everything shuts down when the car comes to standstill.It fires up as soon as the brakes are let off and the throttle is pressed.Performance is pretty good, rating about the same as a 1.5-litre car overall. It's a bit hesitant off idle but accelerates well once underway.Handling and ride characteristics are the same as on the VTi Civic - competent and slightly sporty.The car is well equipped, has six airbags and a comprehensive array of features.But would I buy one?No.I would buy the Civic VTi auto at around $23,000 and put nine grand in my pocket. I'd still have a clear conscience about the environment because the VTi is already an ultra low emission vehicle.It has the edge in performance, the five- speed auto is more user friendly and there would be minimal penalty at the bowser. 

The delayed start for the petrol/electric Civic in Australia is a result of Honda facing a global production shortage.The new car costs $31,990, $2000 more than the first generation Civic hybrid.This car comes with plenty of goods and chattels and has improvements and refinements in regenerative braking energy while the electric Integrated Motor Assist is up on the original Civic by 46 per cent while torque has taken a 14 per cent hike.It develops 85kW of power, giving it a 29kW advantage over the Toyota Prius equivalent and creates 170Nm of torque.There are claimed fuel consumption figures of 4.6 litres/100km (.6 litre better than previous model) but in early real world tests there are indications it is more likely to be up around 6 litres/100km.To justify buying a hybrid over a standard Civic you would need to own the hybrid for more than 16 years, twice the eight-year battery warranty, at current petrol prices, to see any benefit.And according to RACQ research it is understood a replacement battery today would cost close to $2000 or about 70 per cent less than the Prius.The Civic hybrid comes with a compact CVT variable transmission with a wider gear band.There is a space saver spare but there is room for a full size in the boot well, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and a choice of four colours exclusive to the hybrid.The IMA powertrain varies on how it functions depending on road conditions.Both the petrol engine and electric motor work under acceleration and either/or works while cruising, depending on road conditions.Under deceleration the cylinders shutdown and fuel stops flowing, while the electric motor goes into regenerative braking mode, effectively becoming a generator and recovering energy to feed the rechargeable battery.There is a nine per cent wider range in gear ratios for this CVT which helps save fuel.Honda says it will sell 100 a month, optimistically thinking it will pace the Prius.ON THE ROADThe Civic is comfortable and ostensibly does not feel a whole lot different to a conventional petrol model.That is until you spend a few kilometres in one driving around congested Sydney roads.On a 70km loop course from the Rocks, across the northern beaches to Narrabean and back through North Sydney, the hybrid showed a few of its tricks.For starters the brakes at first have a wooden feel to them and there appears to be an ABS (anti-lock brakes) pedal kickback.You can hear the electrics buzz into action when you ride the brakes, sensors sending a signal to the computer so braking power is distributed between hydraulic brakes and the electric generator which maximises regeneration.This is slightly different to the previous model which had a pre-set regeneration and was not designed for variable proportioning of its braking power. So there is better logic under the new hybrid's skin and it is a sweet ride.Our fuel figure rested at 7.8litres/100km after 70km and others on the same drive finished at 5.9litres/100km.The hybrid started to struggle on a couple of climbs, the CVT clearly staying in a higher gear for optimum fuel efficiency.It is doubtful whether the $10,000-plus premium over a standard Civic is worth the hassle.Financially, the hybrid is not a viable option at current petrol prices. Only committed greenies may see a benefit in the environment over dollars equation.

A firm called Honda makes high-revving, efficient and desirable cars that focus on the driver. The Accord Euro, for example, is a Honda. Similar but subtly different is a company that sells mainly in the US. Pronounced as Hahn-da by Americans it makes larger, more softly sprung vehicles with slightly ungainly styling and an agenda that's more domestic appliance than driver's car. The Accord V6 is most definitely a Hahn-da - and so is the new Civic sedan.There's no longer a Civic hatch, at least not in Australia. Europeans get a Civic hatch built in Swindon, England, but Honda Australia says the impregnable British Pound makes that car too expensive for Australia. Instead we get a Thai-built version of the US-market Civic sedan. There's no reason to worry about its origins. This is no thrown-together takeaway. Build quality on both the cars we drove was very good, and difficult to tell from a Japanese made car.Civic comes in three versions. The glamour model is the hybrid, which uses a 15kW electric motor in combination with its 1.3-litre 70kW petrol engine. And there's a luxury Civic Sport with a larger 2.0-litre engine developing 114kW. But most sales will be the 1.8-litre Civic VTi, which we drove on test.It may be the basic Civic but with cruise control, power windows, air-conditioning and an MP3 compatible CD player, the VTi offers all the essentials of modern motoring life. It also shares a radical new interior with the rest of the Civic range.There are two instrument panels, one in the usual place near the steering wheel and one further forward, just below the bottom of the windscreen. The forward panel contains a splendidly legible digital speedometer. It's one of the best we've used and the next best thing to a head-up display. It sits between electronic bar-graph style fuel and temperature gauges. The lower panel contains the odometer, tripmeter, various warning lights and the tachometer — the only traditional needle and dial instrument in the car.The previous model's dashboard mounted gearshift has moved back down to a sort of plinth halfway between the dashboard and the floor, where it sits next to a stubby handbrake. Above them sit simple and straightforward radio and climate controls.There's no attempt to disguise the overwhelming acreage of plastic trim. But it's good quality, well-finished plastic and well-designed, with no shortage of storage spaces.Exterior design is not quite as successful to our eyes. Although the frontal treatment is striking, the body seems a little slab-sided with an awkwardness around the rear door and the wheel arch. It's the look of a car designed outwards from a set of interior dimensions, with the emphasis on practicality rather than desirability.But the most serious design flaw shows up once on the move. The windscreen pillars are both elephantine and awkwardly angled. The need to do well in crash tests has made thick windscreen pillars the curse of many modern cars, but the Civic's are particularly bad.Something about their angle and width seems to always put them in the way. A less serious but potentially annoying consequence of its design is that neither bonnet nor boot can be seen from the driver's seat, making parking a challenge.Things are better on the open road — for a start the Civic has a distinctly plush ride by small car standards. The seats are plush with decent-sized bases, and it's quiet, with road and wind noise well controlled. There's little intrusion from the 1.8-litre engine once moving. The five-speed gearshift is light, in typical Asian car fashion, but has enough weight and positive feel for serious driving.The steering wheel is a groovy, vaguely 1970s-looking item, slightly squared off and the same diameter as the wheel on Honda's S2000 sportscar. Unfortunately the power steering system it's connected to feels a little vague, although usefully direct.Roadholding is not the Civic's forte. Although perfectly competent in dry conditions at normal speeds, it lacks the satisfying precision of a Mazda 3 or Ford Focus, or even a Holden Astra. It doesn't inspire great confidence in the wet or over challenging roads. The price of its placid ride is a suspension that's too soft for committed driving and leads to a fair bit of wallowing and leaning. It also feels under-tyred, with less grip than expected.Despite the body roll and lack of sharpness there's a reasonably balanced feel to the handling — even though it lacks grip it doesn't feel terminally nose-heavy. But it's definitely more Hahn-da than Honda. But the engine retains most of the Honda virtues. Its willingnes to rev hard without sounding strained is a reminder that Honda began as a motorcycle manufacturer. Worked hard it's lively but in more mundane driving situations, such as climbing a long freeway grade in top gear, it can lack low-down torque. It redeems itself with very good fuel consumption. Car makers' fuel-use figures are often hard to match, but the 7.2 litres per 100km we saw in real-world urban driving was not far off Honda's quoted figure of 6.9 litres/100km.The rear seat is roomy enough to qualify the Civic as a four-adult car; it's too narrow to carry five full-sized adults in comfort for any substantial distance. The seatback folds down, but in once piece. Split-folding seatbacks (standard on many cars, including the bargain-basement Proton Savvy) are reserved for more expensive Civic versions.The folding seat makes the best of a disappointingly small boot. At 376 litres it is by Honda's own figures, 74 litres smaller than the previous model's boot. A high floor is the space invader. It's there to allow Honda to fit a full-sized spare wheel. Many will see that as an admirable exception to the trend towards space saver spares, but it does come at a price.Also slightly disappointing is the lack of side airbags in the volume-selling VTi. They can be had for another $3500 in the $24,490 Civic VTi-L — or for $17,990 if you buy any Holden Viva. And no Civic model offers electronic stability control, an omission somewhat at odds with Honda's otherwise deserved reputation as a technological leader.Honda Australia has ambitions to sell 12,000 Civics a year, nearly twice as many as it sold of the old model last year. Given the strength of the small car market and the Thai-sourced Civic's good quality and keen pricing it may well beat that target. Despite its faults the Civic is small car that drives like a big one.Verdict:

Honda relies heavily on the name and many owners hang off the badge's coat tails such is the integrity of the Civic.It has arrived new for the eighth time since the first one, a much smaller and more modest version, put a new spin on the local small car landscape in the early 1970s.There are four versions of the newest Civic (including the hybrid petrol/electric) which have joined the heavyweight small car fight led by the Toyota Corolla, Holden Astra and Mazda 3, among others.Sales have never been hotter in this segment so any contender needs to cut it against some heavy hitters or risk being floored by an uppercut.There are a few weaknesses in the new eighth generation range but none which threaten to expose the Civic to a knockout blow.For the most part the Civic remains an extremely well-oiled civil servant to its many thousands of loyal fans.And what's more there's a Civic for every taste.So how do the different trim choices measure up?VTi, $20,990 (add $2000 for automatic)This is the entree to the range and the base banger has a good dose of standard kit including power windows, single CD player and airconditioning.It is quite cosy and inviting in this guise and probably the biggest let-down is the low-rent cloth seat trim.Still, there is a lot of comfort here, good vision and it is easy to find the optimum seating position.Braking safety hasn't been skimped on either with ABS aided by electric brakeforce distribution helping the four-disc package.There is a bit more space than the previous model, 70mm longer and 35mm wider.The 1.8 litre four-cylinder engine, which is claimed to produce 103kW of power, seemed a little dozy on this test although it probably frees up a bit with a few more clicks on the clock.It is by no means as sprightly as a Mazda 3 or Corolla, biased more toward being neutral in handling.The VTi offers a good, honest calm ride and there are airbags for the driver and front passenger.For the main, the interior is neat, tidy and uncluttered. But what is going on with the spacecraft dash layout?Right smack bang in the middle of where the conventional odo and speedos are is the rev-counter.Then go up another level, closer to the bottom of the windscreen, and there is a digital speedo which, depending on a driver's height, seating and steering wheel positions, runs the risk of being obscured by the top of the tiller.It's a little disconcerting and maybe a little distracting initially but there is no doubt that if you get the position just right it is much easier and safer to monitor your speed because you don't have to adjust your line of sight as much as with a conventional dash.The design of the dash is the one thing that that stands to divide opinion on the latest Civic.VTi-L, $24,490 (add $2000 for automatic)This is the luxury-spec and it, along with the Sport and Hybrid, gain front and rear curtain airbags.And other gains are 15-inch alloy wheels, climate control aircon and a six-disc CD player.That is the thrust of the difference but don't expect hide-covered seats - there is still the rather drab cloth found in the entry model.Sport, $29,990 (add $2000 for automatic)You move from the 1.8 to the 2 litre engine and a rise in power to 114kW but it still doesn't go as hard as it should or could.But to be fair, the Sport Civic is not meant to be a Type R or Type S, even though the powerplant is a hobbled version from the S.Where it does gain kudos is the leather seats and sunroof.There's also a bit more to choose from in the colour and trim department over and above the VTi and VTi-L underlings.What it does like is to be driven hard, the motor kept on the boil and that's where it does its best work.