The all-new Honda Civic has debuted at the New York International Auto Show and is expected to reach the Philippines within the next few months. Following Civic’s pattern of radical model changes alternating with milder remodels, the ninth-generation strongly resembles the previous car, while still being considered an all-new vehicle.
The new car purportedly embodies the concept of “futuristic and distinctive compact,” and makes advances in refinement, performance, fuel economy, and interior package (with a seeming emphasis on refinement).
Indeed, the exterior looks streamlined and suitably high-tech, even if it looks overly familiar due to the similarity from the older model. The interior, though, looks like trademark Honda—clean, orderly, and seemingly very comfortable. The flat rear floor remains, and interior room expands by having slightly more shoulder room. Love the two-tier instrument panel? You’re in luck, as that layout is retained, with even more gauges placed on the upper tier. A five-inch display is mounted on the dashboard for navigation and entertainment.
The base engine is still a 1.8-liter inline-four with iVTEC, good for 140 hp. Five-speed manual and automatics are the available transmissions. There’s also a lower-output (110 bhp), more efficient version of the 1.8. Then there’s the Civic Hybrid, which uses a 1.5-liter engine paired with Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist to generate 110 bhp. Standard transmission for the hybrid is a CVT.
Honda claims better fuel mileage, at 11.9 km/liter city / 16.5 km/liter highway EPA rating. The HF variant achieves 17.4 km/liter highway. Aerodynamic enhancements such as a flat underfloor and strategically placed aero parts are partly responsible for the mileage improvements. The Civic also uses electric power steering to reduce fuel consumption. There’s also an “Econ” button that remaps the drive-by-wire throttle and resets various equipment such as the climate control to improve fuel economy further.
There’s also a sportier version of the Civic, at least in America. The Civic Si, in Coupe and Sedan versions, carries a 2.4-liter iVTEC good for 201 bhp. The Coupe, avialalbe with other engine packages, is itself a great-looking car. Only the headlamps, hood, and front fenders are shared with the sedan.
All Civics will use a McPherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear, to hopefully deliver the comfortable ride mixed with controlled handling that we expect from the Civic. In the US, all Civics get standard electronic stability control and front, side, and curtain airbags.
Has the Civic improved enough to take on the all-new Ford Focus and Hyundai Elantra? Watch for more news on its arrival in the Philippines, expected sometime in late 2011 or early 2012.
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