2015 is a big year for Honda and it claims that by September its range will be entirely refreshed. Within this full range refresh, some models will be more noteworthy than others. The Civic is one of those models.
Built at its Swindon plant – which Honda has pumped an additional £200 million into recently – the 2015 Civic features new exterior design tweaks, interior kit a whole new Sport grade and enhancements to its driving dynamics.
So, at a glance, the new Civic has some different front and rear bumpers, a new front-grille, daytime running lights, a rear spoiler, side mouldings and fog lights. These exterior changes certainly do make it look meaner, with the grille in particular now appearing more domineering.
The Sport model lives up to its nametag by adding 17-inch alloys, a colour coded rear spoiler and a lower grille mesh. Unfortunately, you don’t get a ‘Sport’ badge on the rear, at least our model didn’t. I know that if I was paying a premium to call my car sporty (our model cost £22,555) I would want to show it off with a badge.
The Sport trim is just aesthetic though, there are no technical changes over the standard model. Honda hopes that it will enhance the Honda Racing image of the Civic as well as give customers something a little cooler-looking. This is no doubt acting as a precursor to the upcoming Civic Type-R, which is coming in June/July this year.
The 118bhp 1.6-litre diesel we tested lives up to the “sets new standards for efficiency” label that Honda has put on it. Emitting just 94g/km of CO2 and claiming to return an average of 78.5mpg, efficiency is brilliant. Power is decent as well, giving you that trademark low down pull of a diesel – great for overtaking. When combined with the snappy six-speed manual gearbox, it is a joy to drive.
I was surprised to hear that the facelifted model did not feature a suppler suspension, as the current model can be quite firm at times. Instead, Honda has actually stiffened the suspension even further. Don’t worry though, it was worth it. With rivals like the Ford Focus offering brilliant driving dynamics, Honda is trying to compete with the best and go for added driving dynamics, in return, a slightly stiffer set-up.
This is due to the front and rear dampers being retuned, meaning less body roll and more composure, particularly in the corners. This goes alongside the new Agile Handling Assist (AHA) system, which helps maximise traction by applying the brakes to one or more wheels when necessary.
The electric power steering has been reworked as well. The current Civic lacks a bit of feedback at the wheel and this is still the case, but it does feel sharper and more responsive at higher speeds.
One of the big problems people have with the current Civic’s interior is the dated infotainment system. Well, fear not, this has been rectified with the new Honda Connect system which halves the amount of buttons surrounding the screen, adds some gloss and sharpens up its responsiveness. The sat-nav also features handy things like pinch control, just like a smartphone.
Other useful bits of technology include the City-Brake Active system, which is now available across the Civic range as standard. This can pull off an emergency stop autonomously at up to 20mph if you are not paying attention at the wheel.
With an average price reduction of around £1,600 across the range and an entry-level price of £15,975, the Civic is still more expensive than the Ford Focus, but has some interior niceties and enhanced driving dynamics to justify its premium. However, the Focus is still the class-leader by far when it comes to fun behind the wheel.