Honda’s Civic sense

As before, the new-generation Civic will take on the likes of the Corolla. But this time it will also have diesel power

HONDA UNVEILED THE TENTH generation of the Civic and marked its return to the segment it once dominated years ago. Not only has Honda announced that the Civic will be back for Indians to buy, it has also announced that Civic customers will now have the option of a diesel engine, something the Civic lacked in its previous avatar.

The spanking new Civic features sharp creases and cuts that chisel the body and give the Honda a unique look. The Civic, once a popular model in India not just for its futuristic styling but also for its performance, has not been available since 2012.

The petrol variant will of course be a 1.8-litre, naturally aspirated unit with 139bhp of peak power and 174Nm of peak torque, while the more important diesel will be a 1.6-litre, turbocharged unit with 119bhp and 300Nm. The petrol engine will be mated to a 6-speed manual and CVT automatic gearboxes while the diesel will make do with a 6-speed manual gearbox.

The new Civic is eons ahead of the model that was sold previously in India and apart from the radical new exterior design, it also gets several new features and a next-gen interior to compete with the likes of the Toyota Corolla Altis and the Skoda Octavia.

The new Civic, like its predecessor will be placed above the City and will be available in FY 2018-19. This will certainly make the segment more interesting.