Not a hybrid, not an electric, a plain Jane petrol engine. Not an SUV, not a ute, just a conventional hatchback – but the Honda Civic Sport retains something which makes it deserving of recognition.
At first blush, there is something setting this gen 11 Civic apart from Civics we have seen in the past. Honda says it combines Sokai (exhilarating) design language and a Euro-inspired exterior design.
This – according to Honda’s marketing speak – creates a visually noiseless and frictionless car.
Since the start of Civic’s 50-year history, Honda has sold 24 million units worldwide, placing Civic among the top six best-selling passenger cars in the world.
Civic now associates with premium Euro brands, where buyers have much higher expectations in terms of quality, performance, styling along with efficiency and environmental considerations.
As to performance, the 1.5-litre, direct injection, turbocharged petrol engine with VTEC has been so well perfected by Honda, that its diminutive size is only revealed if you go looking for it.
Even mated to the seven stepped Continuously Variable Transmission with paddle shifters, the car’s performance is beyond reproach.
Granted, a Sport model in Honda-speak is never going to be a R model, but Honda was aiming for – and achieved – sophistication across the board with this Civic.
The clever use of chiselled horizontal lines and fluid curves and a subtle shifting backwards of the cockpit all add up to a sense of engaged forward motion.
Being Honda, attention to efficiency and environmental consideration is a given and evidenced by LED lights all round, lighter construction materials, engine refinements allowing for the use of 91 octane fuel and three-way drive selector for Sport, Normal or Eco driving options.
The cabin has seen a major overhaul. With an emphasis on panoramic visibility – not as expansive as little brother Jazz, but impressive nonetheless – the Civic’s interior is clean, sporty and sophisticated.
Like the Jazz, Civic takes on anti-fatigue seats – and yes, they really do work, thanks to a rethink of the inner workings. Front seats are heated and feature leather bolsters and Ultrasuede inserts.
Admittedly, the mesh strip running the width of the cabin which contains the venting for the air conditioning took a little getting used to visually.
It’s a point of difference unique to Honda and meshy things always indicate sporting pretensions. It is radical and I wouldn’t call it a polarising design, but it is certainly distinctive.
I felt the interior to be especially cohesive, logical and relaxing with just the right amount of ‘if I want to be sporty, I can be, but for now, let’s just cruise’ vibe.
The Honda Civic Sport hatch does have all the right stuff as far as a business hatch is concerned: room enough for five and a well thought out 404 boot-space with an additional 45 litres underneath.
Civic sports a 12 speaker Bose audio suite in addition to the expected connectivity features of Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay with SIRI, Android Auto with Google voice and inbuilt navigation with a new nine-inch display.
Perhaps most critically however, Civic has Honda’s latest generation safety features and systems. The expansive Honda Sensing Technology has seen the addition of traffic jam assist while knee airbags have been added to the existing front and side curtain systems for front cabin occupants.
According to the April 2022 registration statistics, if one was to remove the hybrid/EV upstarts, year-to-date, the 11th gen Civic would be number three in the Small Car over $40k segment it plays in.
Food for thought, and a consideration which makes the Civic hatch a very relevant fleet option for today and likely well into the next 50 years.
