Evolution Effect - Honda Civic IX

Polish dealers of Honda started selling the ninth generation Civic. The car, which the importer says is a revolutionary evolution, will be offered at the same price as its predecessor.

In measurable terms, this means at least PLN 64 for the hatchback (PLN 900 for the Comfort version with air conditioning) and PLN 69 for the sedan, which gets manual air conditioning as standard. The four- and five-door versions are similar in name, but they are completely different cars.

The hatchback is a typical European compact. Efficient, functional and well equipped. The interior is finished with soft materials in elegant colors. An interesting fact is the innovative, patented "plastic" texture - its appearance to some extent depends on the angle of incidence of light. Also important for a potential buyer are the futuristic forms of the dashboard, which can be considered the hallmark of Civic. The upgraded suspension picks up bumps effectively and also works well in fast corners. Driving performance was positively affected, for example. changing the geometry of the rear suspension and strengthening its elements.

Great interior functionality is also an advantage of the five-door Civic. Moving the fuel tank under the driver's seat and the presence of a torsion beam - increasingly rare in the C segment - made it possible to design a 407-liter trunk. Still not enough? Just change the position of the floor and the trunk will grow by 70 liters. A maximum of 477 liters is the result of a smaller station wagon.

There is another surprise inside. The Magic Seats rear seat folding system allows you to raise the seat cushions to accommodate items up to 1,35 meters high.

The disadvantage of the eighth generation Civic was limited rearward visibility. Honda decided to improve it a bit. The lower part of the rear window was equipped with heating, and the upper part received a windshield wiper. In addition, the attachment point of the rear spoiler and the lower edge of the window are slightly lowered. It's better, but the driver's best ally when maneuvering is the reversing camera - standard on the Sport and Executive versions. This is not the only convenience useful in everyday use. The starter button went to the right side of the cab. In the "eight" the driver had to turn the key in the ignition, and then with his left hand reached for the starter button.

The interior of the car is well insulated from suspension, air and tire noise. On the other hand, the engines could be quieter. When driving at a constant speed, they do not make noise, but they clearly note their presence during dynamic acceleration, especially after exceeding 3500-4000 rpm. These corners are necessary for the Civic to pick up speed quickly. Those who would like to save fuel can count on the support of the standard Auto Stop system and the Econ function, which changes the performance of many components (including the engine and air conditioning), and informs the driver about the efficient or inefficient way to drive the vehicle.

The Econ function is also provided for the sedan, which, however, does not receive the Auto Stop system. The differences don't end there. The sedan is a completely different car, despite the fact that outwardly it resembles a five-door counterpart. The cockpit was planned in the same way, but the stylistic impulse was limited. Disappointing and much worse quality of finishing materials. Identical interiors are offered in the American Honda Civic (sedan and coupe). Demand for compact sedans is limited in most European markets, so the three-box version had to be a compromise between quality and production cost.

The buyer of a four-door Civic will also have to put up with poorer equipment. Even at an extra cost, the sedan version will not get active cruise control, LED daytime running lights, dual-zone air conditioning, and tire pressure monitoring and collision avoidance systems. The fuel tank of the three-volume version is located in the traditional place, and the rear wheels are controlled by independent wishbones. Various decisions have touched the capacity of the trunk. The sedan can fit 440 liters, but full use of the space is hampered by the hinges penetrating the inside.

In both versions of the body, there is no shortage of space in front, although not everyone will appreciate the hatchback dashboard surrounding the driver. The back of the sedan is more spacious. In the case of the hatchback, the slope of the front seats greatly reduces the legroom for second-row passengers. A taller one may also lack headroom. Why isn't the five-door Civic pampering rear-seat passengers? The wheelbase of the hatchback is 2595 millimeters, while the sedan is 2675 millimeters. Moreover, contrary to the current trend, Honda decided to shorten the wheelbase of the hatchback - the axles of the eighth generation Civic were spaced another 25 mm. On the other hand, the beneficial effect of the upgrade is to reduce the turning radius.

At the moment, units 1.4 i-VTEC (100 hp, 127 Nm) and 1.8 i-VTEC (142 hp, 174 Nm) are available, and the sedan will receive only a more powerful engine. At the end of this year, the offer will be supplemented by a 120-liter turbodiesel with 1,6 hp. The manufacturer reports that the basic version 1.4 i-VTEC accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in 13-14 seconds. Civic 1.8 needs 8,7-9,7 seconds for the same sprint. Why such long intervals? Differences in the curb weight declared by the manufacturer of individual configuration versions are several tens of kilograms. In addition, the Sport and Executive versions run on spectacular 225/45/17 wheels, which does not make the engines easier to work with. And it is the flagship options, paradoxically, the least dynamic.

Optimization of engines, gearboxes and chassis components, as well as aerodynamic adjustments, are designed to reduce fuel consumption. The catalog data on average fuel consumption look promising. On the combined cycle, the most powerful Civic 1.8 should burn less than 6,5 l/100 km, and on the highway, results should be in the region of 5 l/100 km. So much for theory. The presentation program did not give the opportunity to drive more kilometers, which would have verified the promises of the company. However, on-board computer readings suggest that for slow off-road driving, less than 6 l/100 km may be the most achievable. It was worth, however, to tighten the speed a little, and the displayed values ​​\uXNUMXb\uXNUMXbbecame much less encouraging ...

What will the sale look like? The importer expects customers to decide to order more than 1500 hatchbacks and 50 sedans during the year. Civic accounts for % of Honda sales in Poland. Therefore, the company has high hopes for the new model. The ninth generation is not as revolutionary as the previous one, but the refinement of the design and the elimination of the most serious shortcomings of the model proposed so far, i.e. average finish quality and high noise levels make the Civic a serious contender. to many compacts.