I’ve only ever had good experiences with new Hondas in recent years, so when the call came to try out the New Civic, on the promise that I would really like it, the appetite was well and truly whetted.
I believe that the only way to truly appreciate the oomph of a Honda engine is to be shepherded blindfold to the driver’s seat, strapped in, and left there with the sound of silence and darkness until the ignition is turned.
And so it is with the brand new Civic: the engine was like a million hard at work bee hives plugged into a single socket. And though my model was the 2.2 diesel (E26,900, Slaney View Motors, 053-91-23171) it took off as quickly as any petrol variant.
About the engine I could write all day. It is the first and the last chapter in both responsive and communicative driving. Ever been behind the wheel of a car that could read your thoughts, nay, could tell what you ought to be doing next approaching that bend?
That’s the Civic. The following figures should be studied like poetry: torque (350Nm/ 2002-2750 rpm), power (150ps/4000rpm), combined fuel economy (4.4 1/100km, or 64 mpg) maximum speed (217 kmh) and finally, acceleration from 0 to 100 kmh, a mere 8.5 seconds.
The next trick is to segue the driver’s comfort with that engine to create that once in a lifetime environment where one (the driver) is the sole beneficiary of the other (the engine) without complicating the relationship.
This Honda Civic is a powerful car that demands your respect and your full attention. 0 to 100 kmh in almost eight seconds is not to be sneezed at, so either turn off your mobile phone or leave it at home.
With a performance that will emit spasms from your hand to your brain, the Civic has what the Yanks might call awesome mid range power, and you will be tempted not to switch gears too often, though I enjoyed it most criss-crossing Dublin, working the gears along the flat artery of road adjacent to the Grand Canal.
The 2.2 i-DTEC diesel delivers 150PS while still reducing emissions to 110 g/km, and it releases just the right amount of fuel to each cylinder at computer controlled timings, which is why, even at standstill (this car operates the Idle Stop and Eco Assist system), you can sense the Civic’s patient impatience, if you know what I mean.
The six speed gearbox has a shift indicator light that tells you the best time to change gear to save on fuel, but the economic return is so good you may find this surplus to your needs. Trick is with a car as good as this is to drive it with confidence and common sense.
The ES comes with rear parking camera (vital if you have cats who crash on the tarmac in the evening sun), cruise control with speed limiter (advisable on the Wexford to Gorey road), rain sensing wipers (handy for the fool who thinks texting while driving is either legal or sane), hill start assist and a rather subtle shark fin antenna.
You won’t fit two prop forwards in the back seats but they are quite comfortable and cushion every nook and cranny of the body and, which is important the older you get, there is excellent height and pitch adjustment.
Honda has been excessively clever with the design: the combination of the new suspension system and the athleticism of aesthetic makeovers like the sculpted headlights are gelled with the high mounted rear wing, which reduces drag.
Monet would have been proud of the coaching system which alters the colour of the speedometer which is in your direct eyeline to display fuel efficiency and, if you brake or accelerate sharply, the speedometer glows in blue. Talking of which, the Civic is available in nine colours, from white orchid pearl to yellow topaz metallic: now that’s what I call a good song title.