Honda Civic 2,2 i-CTDi VXi

IT is actually quite hard to believe – for a marque that currently appears unable to put a foot wrong in South Africa – that Honda has only now launched its first passenger car powered by a diesel engine. This careful approach is typical of a manufacturer obsessed with engineering standards and quality. For years we have been asking Honda when its diesel models would come here, and the answer was always the same: “Our engineers are not yet happy with the quality of diesel in this country”, or “We are still waiting for more outlets to stock low sulphur (50 ppm) diesel”. So then, has the wait been worth it? Ignoring for a moment Honda’s crossover SUV, the CR-V, the only car to be offered with the new 2,2-litre turbodiesel powerplant is the Civic five-door hatchback, in high-spec VXi form. So there’s more caution for you…

But this inherently conservative Japanese manufacturer certainly threw caution to the wind when it came to styling its latest-generation hatchback. Seemingly inspired by the art of origami, the Civic hatchback is all creases, dramatic curves and triangles. And that’s only the sheet metal. The detailing is even more bizarre, with a grille-less front-end dominated by a strip of glass stretching the entire width of the bulbous front. At the rear it’s a At last, a turbodiesel hatchback from Honda ROAD TEST Honda Civic 2,2 i-CTDi VXi similar story, with the addition of a double-decker rear windscreen with a built-in spoiler.

Inside, the drama continues, with a facia dominated by sweeping curves and multiple digital readouts. Certainly, not since the original T-Car Opel Kadett GSI have there been such bold digital displays… Thankfully, it all works rather well, but we’re not so sure about some of the switchgear, though – there are a number of knobs and buttons in the area surrounding the steering wheel, with some (particularly the ventilation controls), not being immediately obvious.

Underneath all the quirky design hides a thoroughly practical and spacious family hatchback. Riding on a 2 635 mm wheelbase, the Civic uses many of the tricks Honda’s designers developed for the ultra-roomy Jazz supermini. For example, the 50-litre fuel tank is positioned underneath the front seats, allowing space for a large (by modern standards) 312 dm3 boot, growing to 1 120 dm3 of utility volume with the rear seats folded flat. Passenger space is also exceptional for this class, with especially the generous rear legroom impressing. Our tallest tester, however, struggled to find a comfortable driving position because the seat doesn’t slide back far enough.

Now to the real star of this show – the all-new 2,2-litre common-rail direct injection turbodiesel engine. Delivering 103 kW at 4 000 r/min and 340 N.m of torque at 2 000, this is one of the most powerful engines in its class. But it is also one of the most refined, with off-set cylinders, a second-order balancer shaft, and pendulum-type engine mountings contributing to its smoothness. Although still audibly identifiable as a diesel engine, especially on start-up, the most impressive aspect of this engine’s character is its eagerness to rev and the smooth way in which it goes about this.

It also delivers class-leading performance and economy figures. We recorded a 0-100 km/h time of 9,8 seconds and a 205 km/h top speed. Our calculated fuel index figure worked out at 6,24 litres/100 km, but we managed a figure of as low as 5,2 litres/100 km during one stint.

The engine is mated with a superbly slick six-speed manual transmission, one that makes a sizeable contribution to the car’s overall feeling of refinement. Indeed, few cars in its class can rival this Civic’s ease of driving. Courtesy of abundant low-rev torque, the “stumbling” effect that sometimes plagues turbodiesel- engined cars is completely absent on the Civic. Take the engine out of the equation and the rest of the Civic driving experience is identical to its petrol-fuelled stablemates. Riding on MacPherson strut front and torsion-beam rear suspension set-ups, as well as 17-inch alloy wheels, the Civic is reasonably firmly sprung, but still manages to absorb bumps well. It also handles the twisty bits with aplomb, the sharp (2,4 turns lock to lock), electrically-assisted steering proving to be not only quick, but also accurate.

As noted during our previous Civic hatch test (September 2006), the brakes are impressive during normal driving conditions, but the fact that we noticed considerable fade during our punishing 10-stop emergency brake test routine was disappointing.

Test summary

The Honda Civic remains one of the most practical, spacious and quality cars in its segment. And while it is dynamically perhaps not a class leader, it does offer good ride refinement and an element of fun for those who enjoy “pushing on” a bit. Now add what is, in our opinion, a classleading turbodiesel engine, and you have to say that the Civic appears to be a logical choice.

But it isn’t. The styling (inside and out), will appeal to as many people as it will turn off others, and while we rate the Honda brand as superb in terms of product quality, the market may still find the R249 000 price tag hard to stomach for a non-premium badge brand. That said, those who fall for the snob-value of the R10 000 more expensive Audi will not necessarily be buying a better car…