The article was originally produced on June 10, 2013, some facts and prices may have changed since then.

Honda Civic

Can a car be fun to drive even though it is fuel efficient? Cars Collection has given in to Japan's new thrift store to find out the answer.

In recent years, Honda has moved up to number one on the list of largest engine manufacturers. It has then mainly concerned conventional petrol engines. 

Honda's history began in 1962 when it introduced a small truck and then followed a number of uninteresting passenger cars that never managed to capture the interest of the US or Europe. In the early 1970s, the company even considered shutting down all car manufacturing but chose to invest in the Civic, which basically went straight from concept to production without any changes. The model was a huge export success. A contributing factor was also the revolutionary CVCC engine, which radically changed consumption and emissions. Other famous models from Honda were Prelude, Legend, CR-X and NSX.

Now the company from the Asian island has released a version of the new Civic with a really frugal diesel engine. The cylinder volume is 1.6 litres, which delivers 120 horsepower and 300 Newton meters of torque. In the class, these figures stand up very well and it is only Renault's 1.5-litre Megane that beats Honda in consumption figures. But the Renault engine, on the other hand, is significantly weaker than the Civic's, only 110 horses, which makes a difference in the driving experience. Honda's performance figures offer the 0-100 sprint in 10.5 seconds and a top speed of 203 km/h. Not mind-blowing numbers perhaps, but good for a car that has a consumption of a low 0.36 l/mile. As the name of their "pure" engine technology, they have chosen the name Earth Dreams, which may seem a bit clichéd.

What is really surprising about the Civic is the handling, Honda has managed to achieve a very nice chassis and steering. In every curve and steering wheel maneuver, the car steers directly, neither oversteer nor understeer, but exactly where you want it to turn. A behavior like this conveys not only a sportiness but also a sense of security as the car does what it is told without any unexpected manoeuvres.

In terms of appearance, Honda has always been at the forefront with exciting line choices. Civic is no exception and some may remember the last generation with the glazed front. A front reminiscent of the classic Citroën SM. The new front is not as bold but for that matter would not be boring in any way, the choice of lines gives a sporty and aggressive look. The rear of this hatchback is all the more extreme, the rear lights have been connected via a ramp that stands up like a wing over the tailgate which also contains brake lights. 

The Civic's size is comparable to the Volvo V40 and Volkswagen Golf to name a few. A big difference with the Honda compared to the competition is the practical functions for the rear seat. In addition to the fact that they can be folded down like normal rear seats, they can also be folded up with a simple maneuver. Then you can fit larger objects all the way to the floor. Flexibility has been a key word during the development of the interior functions. The cargo volume can amount to a whopping 1210 litres, which is very good. 

The exciting shapes also continue into the interior. Unfortunately, the shapes have been made so extreme that the insides of the doors stick out so much that you easily hit them with your knees when getting into the car. Instead of a traditional dashboard, the functions have been divided so that the tachometer as well as the meter for fuel and temperature sit together directly in front of the steering wheel in the usual way. The speedometer, which is digital, sits above the steering wheel just in front of the windshield. This means that you can only have the steering wheel in one way to be able to see all the gauges at the same time. Once in place and with the steering wheel in the right position, the driving position feels good. The seats, which in the test car were made of an Alcantara-like fabric, together with the side supports provide good grip even when the car starts to roll. 

After a couple of days in the driver's seat of the Honda Civic 1.6 i-DTEC Diesel, the combination of a car being able to be fun even though it is frugal feels not taken out of thin air. The Civic's handling surpasses many other cars that don't boast low numbers and its figures give many of the competition a tough match to be as low in consumption. The fact that there are small details to complain about can be seen as normal because even the sun has its spots.