Worth a premium? Bold new Civic hits SA

By: IOL Motoring Staff

Cape Town - As you might have gathered from the pictures above, Honda's 10th generation Civic, launched in South Africa this week, isn't just a facelift or a meek evolution of the same old formula - it's a whole new ballgame for the nameplate.

Not only has it made a bold departure in terms of design, but it's dimensions have changed considerably too, with length up by 109mm and the wheelbase growing 30mm while height has been reduced by 20mm, and it's also taken a decent technological stride with a turbo engine option and a new range of driver assistance features.

That said, it has also taken a bold step up the pricing ladder, with top models brushing shoulders with premium sedans such as the Audi A3 Sedan and Mercedes-Benz CLA (see comparisons below).

New Turbo engine

While the bottom half of the range soldiers on with an updated version of Honda's familiar 1.8-litre single-overhead-cam i-Vtec normally aspirated four, with 104kW and 174Nm on tap, the top models get Honda's all-new 1.5-litre turbo-charged VTec, good for 127kW at 5500rpm and 220Nm from 1700rpm.

All engines are paired with Honda's latest CVT continually variable gearbox.

The chassis and structure have also been thoroughly revised, with overall weight having been reduced by 22kg and body rigidity improved by two percent, while a newly designed multi-link rear suspension aims to improve ride and road holding. Furthermore, Honda claims to have significantly reduced noise, vibration and harshness.

New gadgets

All but the base model feature a new 18cm LCD touch-screen interface, which is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The range-topping Executive model is fitted with a glut of high-end driver assistance systems, including Adaptive Cruise Control with Low Speed Following, Lane Departure Warning, Road Departure Mitigation, Forward Collision Warning and Lane Watch with side-sensing cameras.

THE RANGE

1.8 Comfort: Kicks off the range with standard features including automatic air conditioning, four-speaker audio system with Bluetooth connectivity, electric windows and mirrors, automatic headlights, six airbags, ABS brakes and Vehicle Stability Assist.

1.8 Elegance: Adds 17-inch alloy wheels, leather seats (heated up front), eight-speaker sound system with 18cm touch-screen, rear parking sensors and camera, cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, leather steering wheel as well as folding and heated mirrors.

1.5T Sport: Packs a similar specification level to the 1.8 Elegance, but gains the aforementioned 1.5-litre turbo engine.

1.5T Executive: Additional features include a rear spoiler, LED headlights, sport pedals, dual zone climate control and push-button start. Yet its big trump card is the aforementioned suite of Honda Sensing driver assistance systems, including Adaptive Cruise Control.

All models are backed up by a five-year or 200 000km warranty and five-year or 90 000km service plan.

PRICES

1.8 Comfort CVT - R330 000

1.8 Elegance CVT - R370 000

1.5T Sport CVT - R430 000

1.5T Executive CVT - R460 000

ALTERNATIVES

Lower range

Ford Focus Sedan 1.0T Trend auto - 92kW/170Nm - R275 900

Honda Civic 1.8 Comfort CVT - 104kW/174Nm - R330 000

Kia Cerato Sedan 1.6 EX - 95kW/157Nm - R298 995

Medium range