Honda Place scores with Honda Civic 2016 - Lives up to expectation on test drive
Uniquely sporty, elegant, spacious, engaging to drive aptly describes the Honda Place’s latest addition to the auto market in Ghana, the Honda Civic 2016.
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It does not take much to realise that the Japanese automaker took the 43-year-old iconic model with nine generations to its name, to the auto theatre and returned with an all-new vehicle architecture, sporty, sophisticated new interior and exterior styling, a more spacious and high-quality cabin.
Powered by a 2.0-litre engine, the Civic is lighter because its architects put their aluminium body shop to work to carve it, but yet maintains its stylish and robust image.
Comfort and responsiveness
On a test drive, it was easy to notice that the 10th generation Civic oozes comfort and responsiveness.
Creating a car that is both equally comfortable and responsive is, after all, hardly the easiest equilibrium to accomplish but the Civic demonstrates that with its on-road manners.
You don’t struggle to observe that it is responsive and its suspension gives it a firm grip on the road while absorbing the effects of the smooth roads.
Whichever way you appraise the new Civic, its acceleration is irrefutably spirited with a power train that never sacrifices performance, offering the fuel efficiency of an economy model and the performance of a sporty brute.
And unlike its predecessors, the new Civic is quieter inside even at high speed and its ride is more compliant than ever with best-in-class interior volume, to say the least.
DNA
So what is the DNA of the new Civic? Two advanced new engines and a host of new premium features and technologies make up a long list to hold its own against competition in its segment that includes Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra.
Available in two trims of Elegance and Elite, the Honda Place says customers can either choose between the 158bhp, 138 pound-feet of torque model or the 2.0 litre Elite model - both equipped with automatic daytime running headlights; cruise control, an expanded-view driver side mirror with automatic air-conditioning, electronic parking brake, smart entry and push-start button system.
These are in addition to a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, driver height adjustment and electronics features such as 5-inch or 7-inch central display screen, Bluetooth (phone and audio) and a four-speaker sound system with a USB port.
The Civic is no doubt Honda’s icing on the cake with a four-cylinder engine mated to a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) that functions like an automatic.
And quite unlike the previous Civics that came with rear drums, the 2016 Honda Civic comes standard with stability control, antilock disc brakes, front side airbags and side curtain airbags reassuring safety.
Improved driving values
The new Honda Place Head of Sales and Marketing, Mr Manish Daryanani, could not resist the urge when he acquainted Ghana automobile journalists with some salient features of the new Civic.
“Honda purposefully introduced the Civic to offer customers better and improved driving values with superior versatility at low running and maintenance cost.”
Coming on the heels of the ninth generation model, Daryanani said the new Civic had matured with upmarket features and was currently appraised as the most comfortable and sophisticated of any Civic ever.
The size has increased over the 10th generation Civic marginally (a few inches), and inside room has also been rather remarkably increased. That means more cargo room, more leg room and overall, more room to turn around.
Inside, the finish has been kept simple and neat. The buttons and knobs are straightforward, simple and easy to use.
External
While coming with admirable seat designs and fabrics and leather, the accents are unique and appealing and complement the overall finishing of the seating arrangement.
For external looks, the glittering and uniquely carved headlamps increase the appeal of the car; Honda stamped it with its signature Solid Wing design front grill and LED headlights.
With its low and wide stance, the styling portrays a muscular and athletic feel that gives a strong sense of acceleration even when the car is standing still.
The warranty for the Civic is three years or 100,000 kilometres, whichever comes first.