Author Chandan B Mallik  | Photography Shakeel Al Baloushi and author

The outgoing eighth-generation Civic, which was introduced in 2006, was a segment revolution for the model series in terms of it striking design, presentation and overall packaging. It was a mould breaker considering the fact that most automakers usually style their mainstream C-segment models conservatively as they have to appeal to a wider audience. By far, very few C-segment cars have demonstrated a radical styling theme as the outgoing Civic did.

Looking at how the segment has shaped up in the past couple of years, it seems that emotion is a now a key factor in driving manufacturers to consider more than one factor for a successor. Current market research suggests that while changes may or may not lead into any significant performance increase, but an emotional increase is expected by the driver and occupants when a car is actually driven. Honda’s recipe for the eighth generation Civic did very well in these terms, and at the same time the emotional quotient of competitors has also gone up significantly besides the arrival of new models in the region.

There’s no doubt that from both design and engineering standpoints, the outgoing model has been extremely successful throughout its six-plus year career and we have been wondering what approach Honda would take for the replacement Civic. More than a hint of that came at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit where the new generation Civic sedan and coupe were first unveiled to the public as concepts.

It seems that Honda has decided to play safe and continue with the outgoing car’s profile and graft it with some current design DNA. In fact Honda’s lead designer Toshiyuki Okumoto San entrusted for the exterior styling described the new stance as a “one motion form”. In fact, Okumoto has tried to make the new car a bit more youthful with some aggressive touches to its sheet metal.

Without disturbing the predecessor’s wedge-shape profile radically, it seems that Okumoto San’s designer touch has softly massaged soft character lines on the bonnet, and some well-defined flares at the rear. Both front and rear ends have been redesigned and we think the front is more in line with the current Honda design DNA with a steeper windscreen to begin with, while the rear seems to have lost its predecessor’s charm. We can empathise with Okumoto’s overall treatment in the new arrival which now connects much better with the second generation Jazz and more with the current Euro Civic hatchback. Dimensionally, the car is 5mm shorter in length and width, while the wheelbase has been shortened by 30mm and rear track also reduced by 10mm. Even with 195/65R15 wheels, the car’s ground clearance has been reduced by 4.2mm.

If skeptics think that the changes in the sheetmetal aren’t enough to whet their appetite, then, the changes inside the car should leave them drooling. This car now definitely has a potential of representing the finest interior packaging in the segment. First, the cabin feels spacious, thanks to new light coloured fabrics and more glass in the greenhouse, thanks to a revised design of the fixed quarter glass, while the A-pillar appears thinner inside and its housing now also sports a tweeter.

While, the previous Civic’s interior, especially its dashboard was 100 per cent revolutionary in design, the new car’s design is an evolution on an existing theme. Front and rear passengers benefit from additional leg- and shoulder room and taller drivers and front passengers will appreciate the extra three inches of additional shoulder room. Honda has realised that rivals especially from South Korea have significantly upped their respective games with mouth watering design, kit and features. Honda tries to narrow that with what it refers to it as its new I-MID, or Intelligent Multi-Information Display system along with some other first time features even in the base models. Essentially, it is an extension of sorts in terms of specific equipment, form and function. The dashboard continues to be split level as before with digital speedo readout. A five-inch LCD screen has been added on this level which is used as information centre and also doubles up as the screen when the rear camera is activated. An ECON-function is a new highlight in the car which looks at optimizing energy consuming systems such as engine and air-conditioning with the view of fuel efficiency. It’s more of a driver’s aid and has two ways of conveying information to the driver on how to optimize driving. On either side of the speedometer is a horizontal strip of colour changing LCDs. Depending on how the car is driven, it will change colours from green to various shades of blue representing most economical to least economical driving modes. The technology behind this is said to include automatic adjustments to engine and air-conditioning in particular.

Steering wheel has also been revisited and now it is extra busy with buttons for several duties. A toggle on the left-hand steering wheel spoke allows the driver to sift through a wide variety of vehicle info, and other electronic gadgetry includes Bluetooth hands-free phone capability, auxillary imports and a decent 160-watt audio system. Among the ergonomic improvements, the quirky crane necked handbrake lever which was awkwardly positioned next to the shifter gate has been repositioned further back [it should have been there in the outgoing model] and this time around the lever is a traditional and not a designer one, but we do have some reservation as to why the sliding cover over the cup holders has been discontinued. Besides these, the rest of the cabin’s layout and familiar controls is decent and virtually the comfort levels, seat design and bolstering are all carried over. On the cargo front, while boot space in the sedan rose from 14.15 litres to 354 litres, but it’s still way behind the new Elantra’s 419 litres. and the Chevy Cruze’s 425 litres.

The trouble is that despite all the improvements to keep the Civic in the game, it still doesn’t pull it ahead convincingly and the reason for that is the rest of the packaging. Carried over for this region is the powertrain set-up, but there has been some slight tweaking in mapping, compression ratios. While torque is unchanged, power output is up by 0.72 per cent only. However, what is significant is that peak power and torque now come at higher revs. The SOHC i-VTEC engine is good for 139hp at 6,500rpm and 173Nm of torque at 4,300rpm and to increase fuel efficiency, the engine boasts increased intake airflow, enhanced valve timing, and better exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) flow. The five-speed automatic is also carried over and that’s disappointing because the automatic in the 2012 Focus is a more modern and efficient six-speed, as are the ones in the Hyundai Elantra or Chevy Cruze. The new car with its ACE-designed safety structure which use five per cent more high-strength steel, Honda claims the Civic’s body is seven per cent lighter and 10 per cent stiffer in static rigidity, and 11 per cent stronger in dynamic rigidity. That’s not all, a new electric power steering (EPS) system, a redesigned front subframe, and a thin-walled fuel tank all combine to shave some weight, but other kit in the car have made the car slightly heavier than the outgoing edition [15-40kg depending on trim level], which comes as a bit of a surprise as the general trend in the efficiency drive is also to cut flab wherever possible without sacrificing comfort or safety.

A front strut and multilink rear suspension carry over with only minor enhancements, but the previous edition’s hydraulic power assisted steering has given way to an electric set-up. Safety, on the other hand, is a strong point and although the 2012 Civic doesn’t yet have crash-test ratings, the company predicts the new model will earn the highest-possible ratings with it standard safety kit which includes six airbags, stability control, ABS, braking assist and brake-force distribution.

Driving impressions

The Civic sedan line-up sold in the Middle East since 2006 has never been ambitious in terms of driver involvement as it came with a middle order powertrain set-up. While, there was some expectation of inclusion of a fun-to-drive factor in the incoming model in view of the new benchmark standards made by rivals in the segment. Sadly, it is difficult to detect as the car is absolutely and totally predictable with no surprises or false moves. While reading the spec sheet, we are aware that a fatter mid-range torque curve now exists between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm and at practical level should have provided more usable oomph for daily driving. But actually, the difference between the outgoing and incoming model is hardly noticeable, however, what livens up the ride a bit is the quick electric-assist steering, a civilized degree of body rigidity and benefits of a shorter wheelbase. The car is a bit sharper than its predecessor.

Considering that the car has gained some weight and modest bump of 2hp to compensate that, on road acceleration car doesn’t feel that different. In our opinion, Honda should have considered introducing a Tiptronic function in this set-up to spruce up things a bit more. While tyres are also a factor, one would have expected the front end to be a bit heavier on the power steering, but there’s a pleasant surprise out here. Since the new Civic has opted for electric power system instead of hydraulic, the steering weight feels marginally better. In the old car, steering feedback and turn-in was good and the new system manages that and perhaps a shade better.

Driver’s front view is now better as the fixed quarter glass area on the front door has been increased. If the car wasn’t low, one could mistake it for an MPV from inside. The integration of key functions is much better executed and the simplicity in operating it also scores some marks. Although, it falls far behind equivalent Audi or Mercedes or Lexus systems as far as technology application or gimmickry goes, and considering Honda’s very cautious and conservative approach of doing things, we would say something is better than nothing – you get Bluetooth connectivity and an auxiliary input socket for MP3 or IPods, but a shame, there’s no storage capacity.