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Honda Civic Si VTEC Manual road test

Honda seems to be inching towards the premium marques when it comes to quality of materials and engine performance, and the all-important diesel alternative is now up to speed. The Si we drove comes in at £18,270 on the road and this is very competitively priced when you look around at the competition and the spec provided.

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Performance

The Civic Si comes with three separate options in terms of powerplants with the 1.4 i-VTEC and 1.8 i-VTEC making up the petrol options and 2.2 i-CTDi providing the diesel alternative. We tested a 1.8 i-VTEC car fitted with a manual gearbox which falls in the middle of the range and offers 128 lb torque at 4300 revs. Most of the power and performance with this engine is to be found higher in the rev range with torque fairly limited but when the engine is pushed, it certainly has the ability to provide some thrills. Acceleration gradually builds up as you push through the rev range so it delivers a completely different driving experience from the higher torque diesel option which offers more immediate low down shove. The official figures state that 0-60mph is achieved within 8.9 seconds which put the 1.8 litre Si in the ‘warm’ bracket rather than ‘hot’ but if you look at the whole Honda Civic range then that is exactly where the Si is intended for.

Ride & Handling

We expected the ride to be fairly harsh in the sporty Civic Si but it actually turned out to be quite compliant and handled the many imperfections now showing in Britain’s roads with admirable poise and assurance. The Si VTEC comes with 17” alloys as standard, as does the 1.8 litre petrol and 2.2 litre diesel Si. Despite the larger alloys, the car handled the road very well and with a degree of refinement, although it was always evident that the car could be turned into a more sporty, less compliant ride if the accelerator pedal was pushed down with more intent.

Build Quality & Reliability

Honda maintains an enviable reputation for reliability and build quality with the only question mark being on the quality of interior plastics and refinement. There seems to be no diversion away from the build quality here; the interior is driver-focused. Even the temperature and air conditioning controls are much more centred towards the driver than they are in conventional cabin layouts, a point my partner was eager to point out whenever she was a front seat passenger! The materials used within the cabin seem to be of a slightly higher quality than in previous generations of this ilk and the Civic seems to be edging closer to its German-made rivals in this respect, as each generation evolves.

Safety & Security

The Honda Civic Si range comes fully equipped with an array of standard safety and security equipment to meet the usual standards of a modern hatchback plus some great extras. With five stars from EuroNCAP, the Si benefits from active front headrests, ABS, Drive-By-Wire, electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), EBA and Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA). Dual side SRS airbags, dual front SRS airbags, side curtain airbags with side protection beams provide reassurance for passengers should the worse happen. Security-wise, central locking, externally visible Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), perimeter security alarm, Honda Superlocks (deadlocks), remote keyless entry and rolling code ECU engine immobiliser are all standard.

Space & Practicality

The Civic is intelligently designed and gets the most of the space available to provide good load-carrying ability and generous head and legroom for the front and rear passengers. With the back seats up the boot offers 485 litres of load capacity, whilst with the back seats down this is extended quite considerably to 1352 litres. The kerb weight of the Civic we drove was 1326kg which is actually quite light for a vehicle of this kind and this aids performance and fuel consumption. The dashboard is deceptive as it seems to sweep forward and take up much needed cabin space although when the car is viewed from the exterior, the front section seems to be quite compact.

Ownership & Value

There is no doubt that the radical design of the current shape Civic caused quite a few heads to turn when it was launched back in 2009 but it offered ingenuity and flair in a pressured sector of the market, where some manufacturers are frightened to move away from traditional shapes and designs. Honda seems to be inching towards the premium marques when it comes to quality of materials and engine performance, and the all-important diesel alternative is now up to speed. The Si we drove comes in at £18,270 on the road and this is very competitively priced when you look around at the competition and the spec provided. Contract hire and leasing rates have been representative of its value for some time, and the Civic has appeared very high on the list of corporate clients according to leasing firms and leasing portal websites.

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