Civic Consciousness
The Honda Civic is a nameplate that has legendary standing in the automotive world. Known for its ground-breaking innovation and performance prowess, often on a relative budget, most enthusiasts would have owned, or at least had a memorable encounter with, a Civic at some point in their lives.
So, yes, turbocharged Civic, must be fantastic right? Like the high-revving VTECs of old with their never-ending power surge, and that ridiculous boost midway through the rev band “when VTEC kicks in, yo!” Right?
Well, yes and no. While it does boast impressive figures, putting out a handy 173bhp and 220Nm of torque from its 1.5-litre engine, the Civic Turbo does behave more like a modern turbocharged car, in that the power is delivered smoothly and without much fuss and drama. If you’re looking for high revving hysterics, then sorry to disappoint you.
That said though, the Civic Turbo does offer impressive performance. Put your foot down and you’ll quickly find yourself getting up to speed in rather brisk fashion, if somewhat undramatically. It almost feels like a larger naturally-aspirated engine, perhaps 2.0-litre in capacity, rather than a small turbocharged engine. And certainly Honda must be lauded for achieving such a sensation that the turbo lag, if any, is hardly perceptible. The slick-shifting Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) probably helps too.
The Civic has almost always offered driver enjoyment when pushed to the limit, and this particular one is no exception. The car corners neatly and cleanly, with hardly any understeer, and the steering offers plenty of meaty feel and a decently sharp response. It doesn’t quite win class honours for handling fun and ability (that’ll probably go to the Mazda 3), but it ’s certainly good enough to be contender. It rides rather well too, with a well-sorted suspension setup that can handle most bumps, and offers excellent all-round refinement to boot.
The new Civic marks an excellent return to form for the storied nameplate, after one generation of mediocrity. While it doesn’t quite possess all the excitement of previous generation models, this tenth generation version does have its own strengths, in terms of modernity, overall quality and clever innovation. It certainly is a step in the right direction, and puts the Civic back on track to potential greatness.
Credits: Benjamin Chia
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