THE 10th generation Honda Civic is set to launch in India early next month and it holds a lot of promise as a great executive sedan.The new Honda Civic carries a rather sharp design language. It has accentuated creases, curves, sharp character lines and dollops of chrome that all work to make it stand out in a crowd. The sedan boasts a coupe-inspired roofline that tapers down to the rear which adds to its sporty appeal. It is an aggressively styled machine that looks rather upmarket, thanks to the large LED headlights that have an in-line configuration, and C shaped taillights that looks rather stunning.
The manufacturer is offering the Civic with both petrol and diesel options. The 1.8 litre i-VTEC petrol unit generates 141 PS of power and a peak torque of 174 Nm. It is paired with a continuously variable transmission and delivers a fuel efficiency of 16.5 kmpl. The diesel variant gets a 1.6 litre i-DTEC engine that delivers 120 PS of power and 300 Nm of torque. It comes paired with a six-speed manual transmission and delivers a fuel efficiency of 26.8 kmpl.
For India, the new version has a raised ground clearance, where the front end has gone up by 20mm and the rear by 15mm. Despite the increase in ground clearance, the car still handles like a dream.
The cabin benefits from Honda’s ability to carve out a ton of space for passengers and it has that a nice airy feel to it. The materials used include soft-touch panels, upmarket plastics and leatherette seats as well as door claddings. There is ample leg room for those seated up front and the seats are rather comfortable. Even the rear passengers get more than ample legroom. However, the sloping roofline does hamper headroom for tall passengers. Luggage space is decent too. The Civic gets an advanced 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system that supports both Android Auto as well as Apple CarPlay.
On the safety front, the new Civic comes with Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering body that has been designed to absorb and disperse collision energy effectively. You also get ABS, Brake Assist,
Vehicle Stability Assist, a multi-angle rearview camera and a cool new feature that Honda is calling Lane Watch. Overall, the new Civic is a great step up for those looking to get into the executive sedan space. Honda did say that the Civic will be priced in the Rs 18-24 lakh range.
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