Honda Civic hatch 2012 review: road test

Honda’s Civic sedan and hatchback are two quite different machines. While other companies come up with cars that are identical except for their rear end treatment, Honda chooses to build two quite different models to significantly broaden buyer choice. Civic four-door sedan has been on sale in Australia for several months. It’s aimed at relatively conservative buyers and is built in either Thailand or Japan.

Design

While the Civic hatch is very much a European machine, it has a dynamic look and feel and is bought by the young and the young at heart. Interestingly the Honda Civic hatch is totally built in a factory in the UK.

If you thought the previous Honda Civic hatch had striking good looks just wait until you see the new one. The first batch is already on board a ship on its way down under and will go on sale late in June.

Explore the 2012 Honda Civic range

• Honda Civic Sport 2012 review
• Honda Civic Sport automatic 2012 review
• Honda Civic manual hatch 2012 review
• Honda Civic hatch 2012 review: road test
• Honda Civic VTi-L sedan 2012 review
• Honda Civic 2012 review
• Honda Civic hatch 2012 review
• Honda Civic VTi-L hatch 2012 review
• Honda Civic VTi-L 2012 review

We have just spent three solid days in the UK and Germany, watching the Civics being built and driving them on the autobahns of Germany as well as on some stunning scenic backroads of that beautiful country. More about our driving impressions in a moment.

Though there are obvious similarities in the front end styling of the new Civic hatch, everybody panel is different to that on the sedan. The rear has a stunning new shape. In particular the rear lights act as an integrated spoiler with their sculpted shape designed to smooth the air as it leaves the back of the car. Thus achieving a class leading Cd figure of just 0.27 - something that seemed all but impossible until now.

Honda Civic is one of the best looking five-door hatches of all. Yes, it does have five doors, just check out the concealed handles and view the way it seems to have the sleek lines of a two-door hatch / coupe.

As well as the rear light / spoiler, other aerodynamic aids are in the shaping of the front end, the semi-blister rear guards and out of sight panels beneath the car that make air pass cleanly under it. This aero shape has been achieved without any loss of headroom under that sleek rear roofline.

Inside, the Civic hatch has a similar layout to the sedan we reported on the other day. This includes the clever double-level instrument panel, with the digital speedometer sitting high for virtually instrument readout.

Technology

Working in conjunction with the body shaper are changes to the 1.8-litre petrol engine, the manual and automatic transmissions and suspension changes combine to give the new Civic an official fuel consumption figure of just 6.1 litres per hundred kilometres.

Yet Honda has given us a strong hint that even better engines are on their way. Apparently the current unit, while significantly better than the 1.8 it replaces, is in its final stages of revisions and will be replaced by an all-new power plant within about two years.

In an interesting move, the European arm of Honda has suggested the Australian importer also takes delivery of turbo-diesel engines. So Australian buyers will have the option of a super-economy 1.6-litre Civic diesel midway through 2013.

Unfortunately the diesel is only mated to a six-speed manual gearbox at this stage as that’s the way European drivers prefer them. Honda Australia has teamed with some other markets to try and push Honda into designing an automatic transmission to sit beside the turbo-diesel engine.

Safety

New Civic hatch has a many primary safety aids, including intelligent ABS brakes and vehicle stability control systems. Sadly, active cruise control and crash mitigation systems that are offered on topline versions of Civic have been discounted for our market due to relatively high costs.

Systems like these are only seen on ultra-expensive European cars in Australia at this stage so we understand Honda Australia’s point of view. But, who knows, if enough Australian buyers indicate a willingness to pay for these items they may yet eventuate. Perhaps make a call to your local Honda dealer…

In the meantime, six airbags will do all they can to protect your body and those of other occupants should things still go badly wrong.

Driving

We saw the 205km/h on our speedo during our German motorway drive and there was more in hand. (Curiously, we didn’t die, so it appears the laws of physics in Germany must be different to those in Australia where our governments tell us 111 km/h could claim our lives at any moment…)

Civic hatch is smooth and quiet to ride in thanks to having an even stiffer body than before. Part of the refined feel is due to the use of fluid-filled suspension bushes at the rear, another feature that’s normally only found in expensive European saloons.

Engine performance is good without being outstanding as there is now a leaning in the direction of economy and low carbon emissions in the performance / consumption compromise. Torque is strong and the six-speed manual has neatly chosen ration and is positive in its actions. Steering leans in the direction of sportiness with a good feel through the steering wheel.

As it’s still several weeks before the new Honda Civic hatchback arrives in Australia the company won’t reveal its pricing strategy at this stage - other than to say the price list will begin in the mid-twenties. The fact that the new model should rightly be regarded as European is likely to assure buyer acceptance at that price point.