Exterior and interior
The previous Honda Civic was blunt, short and high. The new one takes advantage of Honda’s latest platform to be wider, longer and lower than any of its forebears. And it grows by significant amounts – some 136mm extra length compared to the Mk 9, 30mm in the width, 20mm closer to the ground.
The styling fully adopts the current industry fashion for sharp angles and contours, with a particularly purposeful front end emphasised by large, aggressive air intakes. A swept-back profile has benefited from what Honda describes as the most comprehensive aerodynamics package in the sector – extending to a fully-panelled underside.
All those extra millimetres add up to lots more space inside – the car is distinctly more roomy than its predecessor. This is especially true in the back, where a 95mm gain in knee room is enormous. Only rear headroom comes close to being restrictive, thanks to the way the roof slopes downwards, but only the tallest occupants will notice.
Boot space is good too, right at the top of the class at 478 litres with the seats up, 770 with the seats folded. And while Honda’s previous clever ‘Magic Seats’ have been rendered redundant in the new model, the folded seats still produce a versatile flat floor.
The quest towards conventionality will be obvious to any driver who has sat in a previous Civic. All the funky elements of the previous cockpit, the monocoque-like sides and the obvious curves, especially on the extra instrument pod at the base of the screen, are gone.
In their place are sharp angles in tune with the car’s new exterior look, but the overall effect is far more mainstream. It’s an effective environment – everything works properly with the instrumentation well thought out, though some of the surfacing still appears a little more obviously plastic than those in rivals.
Next page: Powertrains and driving experience
