Review: Honda Civic X - Satan on wheels
Bloody red, black finish, registration number "666" and hellishly strong engine - the new Honda Civic came to our editorial office in a unique version.
The new Honda Civic is a car with a truly original style. The design attracts attention and captivates your eyes like a car from the upper shelf by at least two points. The bodywork has been completely redesigned, has a huge number of strokes and sharp edges, and the rear is clearly raised upwards. The 10th generation of Civic still refers to "UFO", but in this case the reactions are only positive.
The bloody red colour of the car, known as "Rallye Red" in the Honda catalogue, presents itself phenomenally. It is worth adding that it is a lacquer which does not require any additional payment from us. The whole system contrasts very well with the black air inlets, radiator grilles, rims or the finish of the rear lamps and sunroof.
An important addition to this copy is the unique registration number. In order to obtain plate number 666 without ordering an individual registration, Honda employees chatted for weeks at the local communications department. The effect is astonishing - in addition to the expected number, we also managed to get "5W", which fits perfectly in the case of a press car - it is a reference to the classic five journalistic questions.
The "wow" effect does not disappear when entering the interior. Honda has designed this very bravely and applied modernist design. Sitting behind the steering wheel, we have a display in front of our eyes in which the main violin plays a tachometer. Speed is only a numerical indicator.
The dashboard looks modern and has a lot of overcrowding, and the central console with a 7-inch display is slightly ejected, which gives the effect of an attached tablet. The A/C panel is very limited due to the fact that most of the options are set using the info-entertainment system display. You can find all the switches around the gearbox, on the steering wheel or hidden on the left.
The new generation of Civic is characterised by a massive middle tunnel. Now it clearly separates the front passengers from each other and is very capacious and practical. It has a sliding armrest and two places for cups or even a 2-litre bottle. It has also made it possible to create a space for the inside storage area behind the gearbox lever. This can be associated with old Volvo models.
An interesting addition would be an ambient lighting in a red colour, but this option will not be found in the Honda catalogue in case of basic version of Civic. It is available optionally in a separate accessories catalogue and the price is approx. 430 pounds. In the top variants of the model, this should be as standard as in competitive Renault Megane or Volkswagen Golf.
The amount of space in the front row is quite large, although tall people sitting in the driver's seat may complain about the amount of space on the right leg. The seats, on the other hand, have an enormous range of height adjustment, which allows you to sit in a really low position, just like in a sporty car.
The back is similar. Sitting our position is low, but the amount of space is fine. Adults and even a longer, several hundred miles long route is not inconvenient. In addition, the edges of the rear seat are equipped with concealed IsoFix handles for easy installation of the child seat.
It is worth noting that unlike the previous generation, the floor is not equal but has a clear middle tunnel. This slightly reduces the amount of legroom and compared to the previous one, this should be considered as a disadvantage.
The new Civic has a fully correct boot. The loading space is sturdy and the loading threshold is not too high. On paper it will hold 478 litres, which allows you to pack four suitcases and a few small things for a longer journey.
Those who want to change from the previous generation can be surprised by the fact that there are no folding rear seats, the so called Magic Seats. In the 10th generation, only the sofa's backrest is folded. However, this does not affect the car's capacity, because after folding the backrests we can accommodate 1245 litres, i. e. 35 litres more.
The culmination of this unique car is a hellishly powerful engine. Our test copy has been equipped with a debuting VTEC unit of sufficient capacity.... 997 cc.
It is the first VTEC unit with such a low capacity. Japanese engineers have made sure that it is very efficient and by the way meets all the ill emission standards, etc. It generates a power of 129 hp and 180 or 200 Nm of maximum torque depending on whether it is combined with manual or automatic, stepless transmission.
It can be expected that an engine with a capacity of just one litre and three cylinders is not very efficient at high speeds and while driving on the motorway. The new VTEC shows that it's a little bit different and works very well. When driving in a city, it is enough to efficiently accelerate 1,300 kilos of mass.
The flexibility of this engine is rather meagre at high speeds. After braking, it takes some time to re-accelerate to 80 mph, but after decreasing to 5th gear, the car gradually gains speed. With the German motorway available in this car, we can easily speed up to 126 mph, which is a shocking value in relation to such a low engine capacity.
Driving Civic is very enjoyable. The low position positively strengthens the feeling even during a quiet ride in the city. The suspension works perfectly well - the body does not swing out in bends and dampens any unevenness.
A huge number of safety and assistance systems oversee us while driving. In addition to the most obvious and those required by European Union regulations, it is worth mentioning the active cruise control, which will itself keep the distance ahead of the previous car and the lane assistant, who will keep the car in the middle of the lane without driver intervention.
What about burning? As expected, low capacity is only suitable for quiet urban driving or slower on the road. In the city I managed to achieve a result of about 39.2 mpg and 42.7 mpg on the road. Slightly more dynamic combined cycle riding has increased consumption to over 29.4 mpg and driving on the motorway equals less than 23.5 miles per gallon.
The new Honda Civic is a very successful model. Appearance is obviously a matter of taste, but in my opinion it is one of the best looking compact cars currently on the market.
In combination with red lacquer and black finish it looks like a sporty version, but it can still be combined with a modest 1.0 engine, as in the case of a tested unit. In this configuration, it will be perfect for everyday city rides and occasional motorway trips.
HONDA CIVIC X 1.0 VTEC
Text and photos: Michał Śniadek / CARTESTS
#review #honda #HondaCivic #civic #carreview #JustAnotherTribe #reviews
As an explanation:
The above text has been drafted with a significant distance from the actual events. The registration number of the tested copy is completely random and is by no means a reference to satanic cult and 5W.
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Comments (2)
Hi congratulations - your post has been selected by DriveTribe Lifestyle Ambassador for promotion on the DriveTribe homepage.
Great post! I own the previous Civic model and I have been at my local dealer for the annual maintenance just a couple of days before. I saw the new model and I can confirm it is astonishing, addicting curves and unique style (despite I think myne is UFOer). I was also curious about the little 1.0 petrol engine, so thank you for your review! The only think I personally don't like is the absence of the great Magic Seats.... I love that feature and it is of everyday use on my daily! Again, great post indeed and thank you for its promotion ;-)