Honda Civic Hatchback Review

Design and Engineering

Design and Engineering

 Good

Arriving Down Under in mid 2007 the current generation Civic Hatch is a fantastically original design – modern Japanese at its best! Hidden rear door handles on the 5-door Si grade are a neat touch, and the big 18” alloys fitted to the Type-R help to disguise the body’s bulk.

This Type-R’s engine has been thoroughly updated over previous Type-R Hondas and when the VTEC kicks in at 5400rpm it equates to a broader ‘wow’ range. The fly-by-wire throttle is also a change over previous hot little Honda’s.

The Honda Civic is so far ageing remarkably well, and everyone would thought it would date so fast (it hasn’t happened yet in our eyes).
Not so good

Styling might be a tad bold and ‘unusual’ for some. The bold design has cost some visibility – rearwards vision is below par, and the Type-R’s 1345kg kerb weight is a touch heavy when it only has 193Nm of torque on offer.
Interior and Styling

Interior and Styling

 Good

The dual-level driver’s instrument layout is quite futuristic and mostly works well, matching the exterior better than the sedan. The centre console knobs are large and easy to use and there are lots of useful storage compartments. The Type R’s front seats are brilliantly grippy and the ball on its gearlever is real metal and feels superb. The driving position is excellent, with a small steering wheel and the gear lever is positioned close by. The heated leather seats on the Si automatic variant are extremely comfortable.

Decent levels of rear seat space are available PLUS, ‘Magic’ folding rear seats create extra cargo space when required. Cargo capacity with the rear seats folded down is very generous.
Not so good

Unfortunately the dash plastics are at least a generation behind the soft-touch materials evident in competition such as the Volkswagen Golf, and the firm ride of the Type-R was a little uncomfortable for one of our testers.

The Type-R’s front seats don’t return to their original position after sliding them forward to let passengers climb into the second row, and the rear spoiler makes the already disappointing rear view even worse. No rear window wiper either.
Performance

Performance

 Good

Two very different engines are available. Both are naturally aspirated four cylinder petrols with the sensible ‘Si’ grade producing 103kW and 174Nm from 1.8L and the wild ‘Type-R’ a much healthier 148kW but only slightly more 193Nm from 2.0L. Official combined fuel economy is 6.9L per 100kms for the Si with a six speed manual (a five speed auto is also offered) or a not so impressive 9.3L per 100kms for the Type-R.

Si’s 1.8L engine is relatively slick and a great match to the ever-smooth six-speed manual.

The Type-R loves to rev, at five and a half thousand rpm and above it becomes spine tingling, but for those with a more conservative driving style, the Si grade is the better choice. Type R’s six-speed box is a delight to use, the throttle is super responsive and the clutch is easy to operate. Thankfully it is also fitted with strong brakes. As you can probably guess, this variant is extremely fun to drive along a twisty country road.
Not so good

Si’s 1.8L petrol engine misses out on direct injection or turbocharging technology seen in a number of competitors.

Type-R’s screaming naturally-aspirated 2.0L suffers from low torque (only 193Nm at 5600rpm) so if you’re not in the right gear even a number of small diesel cars could embarrass you...

Against the stopwatch (especially the 0-100km/h dash) it isn’t as quick as it feels behind the driver’s seat, but in this day and age this could be a good thing.

Unlike modern turbo engines, the Type-R must be driven hard for the performance to come alive and above 6,500 revs it doesn’t offer much more - yet the rev counter continues to an amazing 9,000 revs!
Ride and Handling

Ride and Handling

 Good

The electric steering offers good feedback, turns in very quickly and is happy to receive driver corrections. No torque steer, yet that could simply be due to the Type-R’s lack of torque.

Type R’s limited slip differential (standard in Australia from March 2009) helps keep the front-wheel drive configuration and high-revving engine working well together. The suspension has been tuned by engineers that obviously know what they are doing.

Type R is a joy to drive on windy roads, there’s loads of fun on offer there. It corners like it is on rails, and understeer doesn’t exist (unless you are travelling into a corner at silly speeds of course). The chassis is super sharp, it rewards the keen driver.
Not so good

Si’s inexpensive torsion beam rear suspension creates too much road noise in the cabin.

Type-R’s very, (very) stiff suspension isn’t so comfortable when sitting in day-to-day urban traffic.
Buying and Owning

Buying and Owning

 Good

Si grades received a significant price reduction in early 2011 and as a result are now far more sensibly priced in comparison with competition.

The leather trimmed automatic Si grade comes standard with luxuries such as heated seats, a six-stack stereo, dual zone climate control and smart looking 17-inch alloys. A high safety rating and plenty of airbags are fitted across the range of Civic hatches. Standard reverse parking sensors will get lots of use.
Not so good

The Si grade is still more expensive (probably because it is UK built) than most small hatches. The Type-R only has two seat belts in the rear, but the front is the place to be. The Type R’s large turning circle isn’t so fun when negotiating a three point turn in the city.