The article was originally produced on April 18, 2017, some facts and prices may have changed since then.

Honda Civic

A classic Honda model in a new vintage and larger format. Cars Collection has tested the tenth generation Honda Civic.

The Honda Civic was introduced in 1972 and can without exaggeration be called a classic when it is now in its tenth generation. The first version received much praise for its spaciousness despite the small external dimensions and for its fuel efficiency but less well for its sports car-like slightly harsh suspension. The company's founder, Soichiro Honda, would surely be proud today considering that the company was founded as late as 1946. First came motorcycles and in 1963 it was time for the first car. The brand has also come to please many Swedish owners.

With its compact format and spacious interior dimensions, the Honda Civic has always been considered a very practical car. Add to that a reasonable price and fun driving characteristics and you have the recipe for success. The reason for the spacious interior dimensions is due to a slightly different construction of the base plate, where the fuel tank was placed under the passenger seat and the exhaust system on the right. This has resulted in significantly more space in the luggage and the back seat. On the new Civic, there is still plenty of space in the trunk and the back seat, but unfortunately the practical folding of the seats, which was on the previous generation, has disappeared. Instead, a new innovative privacy screen has been added. This goes from side to side and means that you don't have to remove it when the rear seats are folded down. What also contributes to the generous interior dimensions is that the outside has grown and now the Civic exceeds 4.5 meters by 2 centimeters. Although this may affect the car negatively in crowded urban environments, it has a positive effect on the driving characteristics. The Honda Civic is very calm in all contexts. You feel that the car is stable even at higher speeds and when the road starts to roll. Honda has always been good at building cars that take you from A to B with joy behind the wheel.

The biggest competitor to the Civic is the car that named the class and that is the Volkswagen Golf. Golf is a tough nut to crack and to succeed you have to resort to other methods and mindsets. Something the Asians do very well and either you love it or the opposite. Here it is about a lot of shapes everywhere, unlike the strict German design. The shape of the new Civic, unlike the previous generation, is large, much larger than that from the eighth to the ninth. To be perfectly honest, there is not much at all that resembles from ninth to tenth. The front has been given an aggressive look with a blunt chrome grill. The rear has also been given a blunt shape with marked arc-shaped taillights. The whole car breathes sportiness and you can easily guess what the really sporty Type R version will look like when it arrives.

The options for the engines are two turbocharged versions, one of one liter and one of one and a half. You can get either a six-speed manual box or a so-called CVT box, i.e. a continuously variable automatic box with artificial gear steps. The test car was equipped with the CVT box which did a fine job. The manual gearbox is incredibly finely tuned and perhaps the more enjoyable option, but for everyday traffic the CVT gearbox is probably the wisest choice. 

As usual in this class, the brands pour in technology to appeal to buyers. In the new Civic, this is of course no exception. With the SENSING package as standard, you get automatic braking, adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist. Your smart phone is mirrored on the touch screen in the center console, and this also wirelessly. 

With ten generations behind it, a lot is undoubtedly expected of a car model. With the new Civic, Honda gallantly shows that it can meet these without disappointing new customers. The only thing you could say against the car is that its outer dimensions have increased, but this takes the overall picture without any problems whatsoever.