Still the Champ
Civic a perennial sales leader
Like it or loathe it, the 10th-generation 2017 Civic’s looks mark a daring leap forward from the previous generation’s bland banality. There are more creases and folds in the sheet metal’s busy surface than a piece of origami, with edges as sharp as a cheese slicer.
The enormous LED tail lights that bracket the carved rump are a set of Transformer hands in an overall design that could be best described as futuristic Meccano. The outrageousness of the Civic coupe’s appearance is amplified by its boy-racer faux brake vents and Energy Green Pearl paint, a colour that could probably be seen from outer space. Beauty being entirely subjective, I have to admit that while the new Civic is a bit overwrought for me, I heartily approve of Honda’s willingness to break out of the safely inoffensive mould.
If the exterior is a departure from the previous model, the cabin is a quantum leap forward. Gone is the two-tier Star Trek instrument display, replaced with a full digital speedometer, and the overall design is a step up in refinement. There’s more soft-touch material in the cabin, along with standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration.
Base models are powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with 158 horsepower and 138 poundfeet of torque, mated to either a six-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission. Midrange EX-T and top-range Touring models have an all-new turbo four, producing 174 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque. Unfortunately for turbo fans, only the EXT-T can be configured with the six-speed manual. Touring models come with CVT only.
The consolation is that CVTequipped models are compatible with Honda Sensing, a package of advanced radar- and camerabased technology that’s available as a $2,000 option for base LX models and comes standard on the top-spec Touring. It includes adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, collision-mitigation braking, road-departure mitigation, lane-keeping assist and Honda’s Lane Watch camera, which uses a camera embedded in the right-side mirror to project that view on the console’s display screen. It’s impressive to think this sort of technology, once reserved for premium sedans, is now available on mainstream compact cars, but it’s also important to note most of these features come at no extra charge on the $17,000 Toyota Corolla. Of course, it’s been decades since the Corolla was available as a racy coupe.
While the Civic’s front seats are comfortable and supportive, the rear seats are fairly accommodating, as far as coupes go, although the lower roof height sacrifices headroom. Since the two-door Civic is about 12 centimetres shorter than the sedan, rear passengers lose about five centimetres of legroom. Trunk space is 337 litres in the Touring, compared to 428 L in the sedan.
Wind and road noise are far less noticeable than in Civics of the past, and there’s an overall sense of good build quality and better sound insulation. While the CVT does tend to drone — particularly in econ mode, when the transmission’s working to keep the engine revs low in the name of fuel economy — this is one of the less offensive of its type and emulates a traditional automatic quite well if the driver opts to use the paddle shifters. Left to its own devices, the transmission helped deliver an overall average of 7.7 L per 100 kilometres over the course of a week.
I’m a big fan of Honda’s Lane Watch blind-spot camera and find it comes in handy living in a town with a healthy cycling population and dedicated bike lanes. The adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist are nice features for those whose commutes feature heavy traffic. The collision-warning system could be a little less sensitive — the flashing red brake warning when behind other vehicles is more startling than confidence-inspiring.
Annoying, too, is the connectivity system’s interface, which is needlessly labour-intensive. Is there anything more aggravating than having to access a screen to change the cabin temperature, or change the volume on the sound system? Let’s not even talk about the voice-activated controls for the navigation system — relying on them would have sent me across the border to Pittsburgh rather than to Peterborough, Ont., as I’d requested.
When it comes to ride quality, the Civic is among the best in its class, smooth and sporty without being too firmly sprung nor harsh. Cornering is flat and predictable, thanks to a multi-link rear suspension, and there’s very little flex or roll from the stiff chassis. Steering is precise and with better feedback than competitors such as the Kia Forte Koup or Hyundai Veloster, and about on par with the Toyota 86.
While I prefer the Toyota 86’s joyful handling and sleeker styling, there are many compelling reasons to choose the Honda Civic coupe. One of the most reliable cars that money can buy, the Civic has a reputation for longevity, hence excellent resale value. While more expensive than competitors, it comes with a long list of standard features, delivers excellent fuel economy and boasts the sort of modern styling sure to please fans of flashy imported sports coupes.