Building on Civic pride

The new Honda Civic sedan has a wedgy profile with a deeply raked windscreen.

Honda New Zealand executives kept their code of silence about the new Civic - even after taking the covers off it in Nelson this week.

"We'd rather you sample it for yourselves before we start talking about it," the company's managing director, Graeme Seymour, told motoring writers about to set off from Nelson for Christchurch.

Seymour wouldn't even disclose prices. "They will be revealed at the presentation tonight."

Marketing manager Graham Meyer wouldn't say boo about the eighth-generation Civic, either.

He had resisted all attempts for information for months. No clues, either, about what New Zealand buyers can expect in equipment levels. Nothing about prices, or model line-up or whether it would be a hatchback or sedan.

"We have nothing to say," he kept saying. Is there a 1.8-litre engine? "We have nothing to say." What about a rumoured six-speed gearbox? "We have nothing to say." The reported line-up of jazzy new colours? "We have nothing to say."

Now Seymour and Meyer can't stop talking about it. "We are shaping tomorrow with leading edge looks, more power, sharper handling and a big injection of high-tech," said Seymour.

The new Civic sedan - the hatchback is not available - comes in three models and eight variants and starts at a competitive $26,000.

That's for the S-badged 1.8-litre four-cylinder unit with five-speed manual gearbox. The five-speed automatic version costs $28,000.

There is also a Sport variant with the same motor. The manual costs $28,500 and the automatic $30,500.

The premium conventional Civics are the four-cylinder 2-litre S and Sport models, both using a five-speed automatic with manual mode and priced at $32,000 and $34,500.

The petrol-electric hybrids round off the range, the standard Hybrid costing $33,800 and the Hybrid Sport $36,300.

The Civic hybrid picked up the Most Advanced Technology gong at last year's Japan car of the year awards.

The new sedan has a wedgy profile that defines the vehicle and its packaging. Its deeply raked windscreen and stylish rear end move it a world away from the conservative styling of the previous model.

The design provides occupants with more interior room and allows Honda stylists to create plenty of space between driver and front passenger and the base of the windscreen, in much the same way as Volkswagen did with the new Beetle.

Honda has filled that space with a dashboard that comes with a double-decker instrument panel.

The rev counter is framed by the steering wheel, while above it sits a recessed digital speedo.

The design is unusual. It has a video generation look about it and at first glance looks shiny and cluttered with bright lights.

But it quickly becomes easy to live with and the speedo remains within the driver's peripheral vision. The ventilation and audio controls to the left of the steering wheel are part of the design package too. It works well.

The gear lever and the handbrake are mounted back and under the ventilation controls. The design allows room for 20-odd CDs in a covered cubbyhole in the console.

The only downside with the layout is that the handbrake can bite into the driver's knee. A foam sleeve for the handbrake might help here.

The Civic rides on 15 (Hybrid) and 16-inch alloy wheels and is supported by MacPherson strut suspension up front and a double wishbone set-up in the rear.

Ride is good and the handling accurate and predictable. The steering is rack and pinion. The 1.8-litre models use speed-sensitive hydraulic power steering; the 2-litre units get an electric system that weights up steering feel at quicker speeds.

The car comes with pretty much everything that opens and shuts for the segment and is equipped with class-leading safety aids. Honda says the new range sets new fuel-efficiency standards.

Both high-tech engines use drive-by-wire throttle technology. The 1.8-litre unit develops 103kW (138bhp) at 6300rpm and 174Nm of torque at 4300rpm.

The 2-litre puts out 114kW (153bhp) at 6200rpm and 188Nm at 4200rpm.

The hybrid version uses a 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine mated to Honda's Integrated Motor Assist technology.

The petrol-electric system develops 85kW (114bhp) at 6000rpm and 170Nm of torque at 2500rpm. Power goes to the front wheels through a continuously variable transmission (CVT).