First Impressions of the Honda Civic 1.8 i-Vtec

Nov 25 2011

It is hard to believe that four decades have passed since we first saw Soichiro Honda’s rather ill-fated 1,300cc family sedan with a flat-four air-cooled engine.  It is even harder to believe that this little car went on to become the Civic, a car that has become the epicentre of Honda’s car range.  Today the Civic is as popular as ever and the latest model will no doubt continue this tradition.

The car is not cheap – you will need access to cash or car credit of £17,995 if you want one.  For that you get an 1800cc four-cylinder engine producing 142bhp.  The Civic is a front-wheel drive with a six-speed gearbox.  There is also a 100bhp 1.4-litre version and a 2.2-litre pushing out 150bhp.

Top speed is claimed to be in the region of 134mph (214km/h).  The car accelerates from 0-60 in 9.1 seconds and the official average fuel consumption is 47.1 miles per gallon.  The entry level SE model has CO2 emissions of 137g/km.

The new Honda is indeed a futuristic, dramatic-looking vehicle on the outside, something one could not really say about the Honda Jazz or the curious CR-V.

Inside the car is plusher, smarter and of a higher quality than its predecessor.  The rev counter is still where it used to be: straight ahead of the driver, with normal dials on both sides.  Above that is a digital speedometer.  You still have to set the steering wheel very low otherwise you cannot see the speedometer.

Author - Louise Hutchinson

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