Honda Civic

Launched in the Indian market in 2006, the Honda Civic instantly became a hit with Honda fans. It re-wrote the rules of the D segment cars in India and went on to be a best-seller for Honda in this segment of cars. The first thing that struck most of its prospective owners was its modern and jazzy exterior looks. The Civic even today looks sharp and its striking design lines haven’t really become dated. Infact, the Civic got a couple of mild updates last year and continues to look smart. 

The same sharp design theme is seen on the interior as well. Step into the cabin and you are greeted with one of the sportiest fascia and central console in the D segment cars. The steering wheel for instance has a very racy design and the digital speedometer console, pushed back near the windscreen, looks very modern. The Civic scores high on the comfort and space front as well. Infact, the flat rear floor-board adds to the rear passenger comfort. Like any other Honda, the Civic scores high on the practicality point as well with multiple cubby holes, glass and bottle holders. 

As time progressed and fuel prices rose, the Civic’s shortcomings start appearing. Like any other Honda in India today, the Civic too comes with only a petrol engine. It is no doubt a very refined and smooth motor and offers good performance to enthusiasts, but the fact that the Civic lacks a diesel engine is showing in its sales chart. That said, for petrol lovers, the Civic’s 1.8-litre 132PS engine does the job very well and has an ARAI certified fuel economy of 14.8 and 13.9kmpl for the manual and automatic transmissions respectively. Its automatic variant also comes with paddle-shifters which adds to the drive experience. 

The Civic also scores high on the suspension front which is tuned well for Indian roads. However, the downside is its limited ground clearance which means that with a load of four adults, it’s a common thing for the Civic to touch its under-belly over bad roads / speed breakers. The Honda Civic range starts at Rs 12.2 lakh for the 1.8S MT version, going upto Rs 14.4 lakh for the 1.8V AT (with sun-roof) variant – all prices ex-showroom, Delhi. 

Expert Speak: If you want a petrol D segment car, the Civic is a very good buy – looks great, has spacious interiors and a gem of an engine!