ITS dated design was dramatically dumped and only the name continues with the new Honda Civic.
Unashamedly, Honda says the new Civic is unlikely to please an older driver and there is a determined attempt to win over younger buyers to the car with its very modern styling both inside and out and a bias towards style rather than practicality despite its five-door shape.
Until the new Civic Type R joins the line up in a few months, the new range runs to a dozen derivatives with 1.4 and 1.8 petrol engines or a 2.2 diesel engine in three trim levels. Prices go from just under £13,000 to a little over £18,000.
I tested the mid-range model and this is more of a warm rather than hot hatchback as shown by the acceleration and top speed figures.
The engine is typically Honda, an immediate starter with a lot of urge and a busy sound but the way it develops its power is particularly clever as the induction system is almost two in one to maximise economy and deliver more power when required.
The result is that despite being very free revving its surprisingly economical overall and you can either press on through the gears or leave it lolling about.
Six gears give a good ratio spread and it can easily keep up with traffic and have more in reserve for overtaking or simply settle down to gobbling up the motorway miles.
Brakes were precise and powerful with only modest pedal effort but the handbrake felt and sounded a very cheap fitting.
I liked the precision of the steering and the low effort required to park in small spaces.
Secondary controls were fairly easy to use and positioned where you would expect but the futuristic instrument display, despite its clarity, may not be to everyone’s taste.
Heating and ventilation just about coped on some very hot days.
Oddments room was only fair and the boot space had a high lip and was not particularly generous at 485 litres rising to 1,352 litres maximum with rear seats down. The shape of the boot and the slope of the back window severely restricted the size of what could be carried.
Inside the cabin there was also little room if you were particularly tall and the high waistline is not conducive to children being able to see out and reduce the possibilities of sickness.
The seats are on the thin side and have difficulty soaking up bumps which overcome the firm suspension so the result is a hard, even bumpy ride over moderately poor surfaces.
You can hear the suspension working away as well and combined with the excited engine note and very tinny sound to the doors closing the overall feeling of quality and sophistication is more lacking in the latest Honda Civic than in the previous edition.
Visibility is a more serious issue, however, with hardly any clear sightlines to the back in the mirror or over the shoulder and the thick pillars and big door mirrors create their own blindspots to the sides. The Honda Civic may be good to look at but it’s not good to look out of.
So, if it is not so good in what many may consider vital areas, where does it excel?
It is clear the new Civic has been designed by drivers, for drivers, so the handling and roadholding are both very good and biased towards sportiness. You point it and the car faithfully goes after its nose without loss of grip or undue effort.
In economy terms, it also noses ahead of rivals and it does so without being light-footed. We also have historical data to indicate the new Civic should be very reliable and comparatively cheap to own over a few years.
All you have to decide is if the pros outweigh the cons and if the Civic fills all your own boxes.
FAST FACTS
Honda Civic 1.8i-VTEC ES 5dr
Price: £15,650
Mechanical: 140bhp, 1,799cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 6spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 127mph
0-62mph: 8.9 secs
Combined mpg: 44.1
Insurance group: 9
CO2 emissions: 152g/km
BiK rating: 17%