Honda Civic review: Edge of town

Sharp looking four-door has to get buyers back into Honda showrooms.

Honda Civic sedan (2016).

THIS is not just another new small car, a player in the most crowded segment of the market — this sharp-looking sedan is make or break for Honda.

2016 Honda Civic sedan.

Having struggled since the global financial crisis — sales halved as vehicle development was halted — Honda’s factories in Thailand then got belted with tropical floods. Among the big brands, Honda’s was the single biggest sales decline outside Holden and Ford.

So far this year, Honda isn’t even among the Top 10 sellers, nudged out by Kia and Mercedes-Benz.

The new Civic arrives with a big task: to get buyers back into Honda showrooms. On the surface, it’s giving a good shot.

“We became beige and a bit boring,” says Honda Australia boss Stephen Collins. “We need to get Civic back on the top of shopping lists. We want this car to appeal to people who’ve not considered a Honda before.”

Honda civic sedan 2016.

The 10th generation Civic is new from the tyres up and made in a new factory — several hundred kilometres away from the zone of tropical floods that engulfed Honda factories and the assembly lines of several other brands.

This, Honda hopes, means uninterrupted supply of the new model. The first boatload of sedans arrives in mid-June, the hatches in early 2017.

Honda has joined other brands by deleting the bargain basement sub-$20,000 model and introducing a higher starting price.

Starting at $22,390 plus on-roads, the Civic is on par with the RRPs of the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3, Australia’s top two sellers. This indicates about $25,000 drive-away.

However, the Korean pairing of Hyundai and Kia are putting massive pressure on the rest of the market, having limboed to $19,990 drive-away for their small cars, including automatic transmission and five and seven-year warranties respectively.

Honda is unapologetic for its premium price position; most car companies try to test the market as soon as a car is launched because they can always trim the price later.

Honda civic sedan.

“We could have introduced a cheaper version to sneak under $20,000 but Australian customers want more standard equipment in their cars,” says Collins.

To that end the new Civic comes fully loaded. Standard fare includes six airbags, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital speedo display, rear view camera, seven-inch touchscreen, remote entry and cruise control. The cabin is roomy and it has the biggest boot in the class (519L, more than a Holden Commodore).

Basic models come with the carry-over 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine and upspec versions gain a new generation 1.5-litre turbo with more oomph, bigger wheels (up from 16-inch rims to 17s), leather upholstery and sunroof.

The top of the range is a sky high $33,590 plus on-roads — call it $36,0000 drive-away, which is close to Holden Commodore money.

Only the flagship of the fleet gets automatic emergency braking, which can slam on the brakes if you’re not paying attention at less than 30km/h.

Most other small cars don’t yet have AEB, as it is known, though it is available on the Mazda3 range for a price. Given this safety feature soon will be compulsory, it is unusual that the Civic does not have it as standard from the outset.

Honda Civic sedan.

The top-spec Civic can also automatically move itself in stop-start traffic flow — it’s the first Honda to do so — and has lane-keeping assistance. As with other cars with this tech, it does not work in all conditions and the driver must maintain control at all times.

On THE ROAD

The Civic drives well but is not a revelation when it comes to small cars. Its petrol engines are perky and work seamlessly, if not particularly quietly, with the constantly variable transmission — on the noise front, first impressions are they are on par with the class leaders.

The steering is sharp and precise and the comfort over bumps is above average.

The digital instrument display is a welcome addition and easy to read.

Our favourite touch with the new model: Honda’s solution to the gradual disappearance of audio volume dials is a grooved button on the steering wheel that can either be clicked up or down — or swiped like a phone for faster response. It works a treat — other brands, take note.

2016 Honda Civic sedan.

The seating position can be set low for driving enthusiasts and high for those who want a more graceful entry and exit.

There are ample door pockets and plenty of cubbies; the USB port for Apple CarPlay is hidden below the centre console tray to keep cables out of the way.

Rear room is sound, though with a touch less headroom than in the outgoing model. Despite the sleek window lines, all-round vision is good.

Of the five variants tested, our pick was the most affordable model, on super quiet 16-inch Hankook tyres.

VERDICT ★★★½

The price is a bit steep but first impressions are good. However, it’s hard to determine how it compares with rivals until we do a back-to-back test.

Meanwhile, it’s safe to say the latest model has most bases covered and is definitely worth taking for a test drive before you sign on the dotted line for a new small car.

AT A GLANCE

HONDA CIVIC

PRICE From $22,390

WARRANTY 3 years/100,000km

CAPPED SERVICING $1193 over 3 years (based on 4 services at 9 month intervals)

SERVICE INTERVAL 12 months/10,000km

SAFETY 6 airbags, not tested

ENGINE 1.8-litre 4-cyl, 104kW/ 174Nm; 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo, 127kW/220Nm

TRANSMISSION CVT; FWD

THIRST 6.0L-6.4L/100km

DIMENSIONS 4644mm (L), 1799mm (W), 1416mm (H), 2700mm (WB)

WEIGHT 1331kg

SPARE Space-saver