 IF
YOU ARE among the thousands bemoaning the new Honda City’s
lack of performance, if you’re among those awaiting
the long-awaited Civic, here at last is the news you’ve
been waiting for. And it’s all good. No deviation from
Honda’s traditional ethos at the altar of a more practical
car, no sacrifice of driving pleasure for practical considerations,
and best of all no weedy pencil-neck motor. Yes, the Civic
will take off from where the old Honda City VTEC left off,
and that’s reason enough to cheer.
The car you see on these pages is the reason Honda had kept
the Civic out of the Indian market. Not wanting to introduce
a car soon to be replaced into a market that is highly allergic
to even slightly outdated models, Honda is still smarting
over the lacklustre performance of the old Accord, it decided
to wait for the launch of the new model.
As with the Accord, the version of the Civic that will be
imported into India will be the fully loaded First-World version
exported to the US. Honda has followed this practice with
the Accord to good effect, a strategy which seems to be the
right one. Hatchback versions of the Civic, especially the
pretty glass-nosed one that will be sold in Europe, will not
make it to our shores. This is one of the most important models
in the Honda line-up, especially with emerging markets picking
up in volume in the recent years and the carmaker has spared
no effort or expense in getting its Corolla competitor right.
Honda considers the Civic to be one of the cornerstones of
its automotive heritage, a beacon that other models take example
from and it is for this reason that cutting-edge style and
technology are pioneered on this model. Honda sold a staggering
16 million Civics worldwide in 2004, making it the third best
selling passenger car in the world, no mean feat for a car
in this class.
Now in its seventh generation, the new Civic sedan features
fresh bold styling. Utilising a silhouette that flows smoothly
without abrupt changes in direction for either the nose, windshields
or boot section of the car, the Civic possesses a sweeping
modern profile that will help it stand out from the crowd.
Honda calls this profile monoform. It helps give the car an
interesting shape and crucially also helps become one of the
slipperiest shapes around, with class- leading aerodynamics.
All Civic models have a front airdam, not visible on the body
directly, as well as a number of strategically positioned
underbody encapsulations for a smoother flow underneath, a
feature ordinarily only found on high-end saloons like the
Mercedes E-class and the BMW 5 Series. Honda has also paid
a great deal of attention to the gap between the wheel and
the body for aerodynamic purposes, but this is sure to be
spoilt as the car will have to be raised on its springs for
Indian roads.
Stylistically the Honda builds on the clean silhouette by
using a design that complements this shape with short overhands
and minimal stylistic details. All concessions to style are
bold, confident and very original. The central theme of the
styling is centered around the visual and physical separation
between the ‘V’ bonnet and the rest of the car.
While the bumper section, headlights and the fenders all exist
in one single smooth plane, the bonnet and the grille are
raised above them. This breaks with convention and takes a
theme started on the Accord to the next level. It makes practical
sense too, as the fenders, especially around the nose, are
devoid of mechanical bits and only serve a stylistic function.
A solid bar of chrome with a Honda ‘H’ takes the
place of a traditional grille, sleek and flush- mounted headlight
clusters are placed on either side and these lead to the slab-sided
flanks. Honda has used a stylistic slash at the bottom of
the doors which reduces their slab-like proportions, but this
is not entirely effective. The rear is almost Kamm tail-like
in its abruptness and concave profile. But the boot is muscular
and pretty, especially the boomerang like tail lights.
 This
all-new platform has a longer wheelbase, is wider, but the
overall height of the car is reduced. The Civic uses high
strength steel to good effect and the car as a result is 35
percent stiffer than the outgoing Civic. Known as Honda’s
Global Compact Platform, Honda uses costly subframes for the
front suspension as well as mid-floor cross-members and front
gussets.
Unlike the Corolla, the Civic uses a four-wheel independent
suspension that has been fine-tuned and refined for the new
car. The front MacPherson strut uses a toe control link for
perfect wheel location, the double wishbone rear suspension
has its shock absorbers mounted close to the wheel so that
large bumps do not get magnified and in addition the front
subframe helps isolate the passenger cabin from road and engine
vibrations.
Unlike on the City, Honda has not used a lifeless electric
power steering. The hydraulic rack-and- pinion steering system
improves feel and driving pleasure. In addition, the steering
system has been mounted low for improved steering geometry
and has been given a quick ratio that will undoubtedly serve
it well for agility.
The hi-tech-looking interiors look just as radical and classy
as those on the Accord did when it was launched. Radical and
modern looking, the Civic has one of the most exciting interiors
seen in a long time. The instrument pod immediately gets your
eye as it is split in two. The first part sits in the traditional
place, behind the steering wheel. But it is much smaller than
normal, tiny in comparison. The reason, a separate instrument
cluster sits at the base of the windscreen, a clever interpretation
of the concept used for a heads-up display, where the driver
or the pilot’s eyes don’t have to travel far to
get essential information.
 The
design of the central console is done in a single colour and
the overall style reminds you of the Mercedes E-class. Huge
rectangular vents, two for the passenger as well, are provided
so that the velocity of the air does not rise high when the
passengers need a greater volume of air. The matching two-
tone leather-covered steering wheel looks hi-tech too. Oh
and you did notice the purple gauges that look straight out
of Star Trek cockpit. The interiors are full of loads of clever
details like voice activated navigation systems, MP3 player,
speed sensitive volume control, and even a subwoofer as standard
equipment. Looks like Honda is turning on the charm. And just
maybe we’ll get a fully loaded version here as well.
Rear seat space and comfort, crucial for India, is claimed
to be as good as the outgoing Civic despite the lower roof.
Will the rear seat be more comfortable than that of the Corolla?
We’ll just have to see.
The engine is the heart of every Honda. And the motor that
powers the new Civic, the new 1.8 is another smooth screamer.
Making 140bhp, the new engine boasts a raft of new technology
and Honda claims it has the power of a 2.0-litre and the efficiency
of a 1.8-litre motor. A long-stroke motor, this engine boasts
novel features like a new valve control system that helps
it achieve both startling fuel economy and power. Not different
in principle to BMW’s Valvetronic system that does away
with the throttle plate and reduces pumping losses, this engine
reduces pumping losses created by the throttle plate by using
clever valve control. For example, the intake valve is allowed
to remain open for longer during the compression stroke, and
this allows for a reduction in pumping losses as some of the
unburned air-fuel mixture in the cylinder moves back inside
the intake manifold, thus lowering the volume being compressed
or ‘pumped’. Similarly, this engine adjusts itself
for various conditions perfectly, cruise, flat-out performance
or throttle on and off conditions. Other interesting features
of the engine include an exhaust manifold that is incorporated
into the cylinder head, cracked connecting rod big ends save
on fastener weight by being as strong as cast pieces and a
fully digital throttle that is not limited to a few fixed
throttle maps.
With the new Civic, Honda has blended practicality with fun;
something the company is famous for. The rakish Civic will
put a huge smile on fans of the old Honda City and appeal
to those looking for a practical and reliable car too. Remember,
the Civic will be the first Honda to go head to head with
traditional rival Toyota, and for that reason alone expect
Honda will pull out all the stops. They may even launch the
more powerful 2.0 litre version. Now that be certainly be
worth waiting for.
|
October 2005
