Honda to Sell Futuristically Styled European-Market Civic

Other interior details include a red engine-start button and a bootless shifter. (Photo: Honda Canada)

What appear to be high quality, dark-coloured plastics and trim are countered by shiny metal-finish plastic components that help give the Civic a futuristic look, a spin on the compact sector that is often somewhat drab in an entry-level way. Rather, this glimpse of C-segment vehicles to come is also echoed in other details, which include a red engine-start button and a bootless shifter, the former from the Insight hybrid and S2000 roadster, and the latter an idea Honda unashamedly nabbed from the Volvo S60.

Likewise, equipment levels are generous on the new Civic, which sees Honda's VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist) in addition to airbags and ABS brakes as standard. Higher models can feature automatic wipers and headlamps, 18-inch alloy wheels, a leather interior, navigation/hi-fi system, and a panoramic roof to brighten up the otherwise dark interior.

With such little space between the nose and the base of the windshield, the engines for the latest Civic are small in displacement. The base motor is an 82-horsepower 1.4-litre DSI (direct injection) unit derived from the Fit/Jazz subcompact. It allows the Civic to sputter to 100 km/h in a less than sporty 14.5 seconds, with a top speed of 172 km/h (107 mph). More impressively, to performance enthusiasts anyway, is the new 1.8-litre i-VTEC powerplant, designed specifically for this new car. Honda claims that it delivers the power and performance of a 2.0-litre displacement engine, but has fuel consumption equivalent to a 1.6-litre motor. Acceleration is far brisker, with the 100 km/h dash down five seconds to 9.5, while top speed has been boosted to 138 mph (222 km/h). Fuel consumption is nearly as good as the 1.4, so the only question as to which engine will get the majority of sales will be the price penalty for stepping up to the 1.8.

The plan is to introduce separate models and body styles for the vastly different markets. (Photo: Honda Canada)

To be introduced sometime during 2006 is Honda's latest diesel, a 2.2-litre i-CDTI that makes 138-horsepower and a whopping 251 lb-ft of torque. Not only is this the largest engine available to the Civic, but it's also the fastest, allowing the hatchback to hit 100 km/h in just 8.4 seconds. As with all diesels, fuel consumption is stellar; this Civic slowly sips from the tank using less fuel than even the most efficient gasoline motor available. All powerplants are mated to either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox to make the most out of their limited displacement.