With the new Civic, Honda may just have gained membership into the club visited by the likes of Citroen C4 and Renault Megane. The eighth edition of the European civic could have had this column a lot earlier, but attention is none the less.
The Indian Civic’s attire is similar to the Hybrid Civic of UK that is alike in stance to its US cousin, but evidently different from the one driving out of Swindon, England factory. Unlike the Ford Focus it categorically looks newer than the model it replaces. Just as much as the first Focus looked relative to the Escort it replaced. But what’s notable is that unlike VW Golf it is not a banal conception! It’s not even a well-executed polished design like the last Opel astra. The Civic (read as European civic throughout) is a radical departure of its previous model, and eye-catching at that! The Civic is proportionately true unlike the City (with its cab forward MPVish stance). Instead the Civic is a fine balance of an MPV and a coupe. Detailing is not anything like a mass production Honda. With a glazing on the nose that combines the lamp with the grille, and a complementing taillight graphic at the rear with the spoiler and two-piece glazing. Bridged by the forward sloping DLO. Surely the wrap around lamps and glazing must come at a production cost, which Honda has been conspicuously bold enough to retain from the concept Civic unveiled in Geneva last year.
One could be forgiven for mistaking it for a 3 door instead of a 5 door. This is thanks to the smaller rear door and its handles being sited within the window frames. It is claimed that the exterior design chief, Toshiyuki Okumoto spent much of his time in the Milanese Studio of Honda to be influenced and thus have a European character to the car. The Alfa Romeo’s way of concealing the rear door handle should not take away the credit for the rest of the car. Nor the Audi A2 influenced spoiler to rid the turbulent air from behind thus letting the Civic get away without a rear wiper by making the back screen water repellent. The new Civic has managed to confront the decree of road legislation over styling. Accomplished by shedding off some height and shortening herself in length from her forerunner. Yet have more room than its predecessor.
Bearing in mind the exterior, the interior designers have played their part equally well. Spacious and immodest about the electronic wizardry it incorporates. As is obvious right from the steering wheel to the cleverly thought of dual zone of instrumentation display and well-defined layout of the controls. All this leads to not just a distinctive heir for the previous Civic but an out of the ordinary car for the masses who presently drive cars whose muscles and bones seem to have been created so as to not be passed of as unaesthetic. Unlike the traditionally conservative Civic driver the potential one can be expected to be much younger in age, and happy to be different. It may not be difficult to visualize Toyota designers flipping back to their sketchbooks for the Corolla replacement. After viewing the Civic’s launch.
Battling in the biggest segment in Europe, Honda Civic has altered the perception of an Asian mainstream car manufacturer’s styling capability. With the Honda name, anti-lock brakes, electric windows and mirrors, air bags all round, air conditioning, CD stereo and alloy wheels it is value for money. Goes to see if her Indian cousin does the same.