We love the practicality of large cars, but then there’s also a lot to be said for the handy size and low running costs of a family hatchback. If only there was some way to combine the two…
Well, Honda’s very obviously ridden the same train of thought, because its Civic Tourer almost exactly fits the bill. Despite being almost identical to the hatchback version up until the rear seats, its extended roofline and larger boot takes its practicality to a whole different level.
Even with three sat in the back, there’s still 624 litres of luggage room, which is not only the largest capacity in its class, but puts many larger estate cars to absolute shame.
Fold the rear seats down and the Civic Tourer essentially becomes the world’s sleekest, most luxurious delivery van. Still unconvinced? Honda has even included a unique in-car bike rack, which lets you transport two full sized bicycles with a rather genius clamp to hold them securely in place.
Bet you didn’t know that the Civic Tourer is a Guinness World Record holder either. To be fair, neither did we until very recently when we recieved one as our latest long-term test car, and now we’re a little bit worried…
As if the 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel engine fitted in our test car wasn’t impressive enough with its official consumption of 74.3mpg, last summer a Civic Tourer with the same motor returned a staggering 100.3mpg average during a length 8,387-mile trip through all 24 EU countries.
That’s enough to put it in the hallowed book of records, but enough to wring a full 932 miles out of a single tank of fuel. So what are we worried for? Well, we have a few trips of our own coming up, and we’re a little afraid our slightly leaden feet will look a bit silly in comparison.
Might have to ask a couple of Honda R&D chaps for tips…
