Say hello to…
…the latest Honda Civic is at the most basic level, a very straightforward family hatchback. However, this eleventh generation car is not only better than ever before, but also worth of taking on the likes of the VW Golf, Ford Focus and Toyota Corolla.
Excluding the hot Type R version, the new Civic is available only as a hybrid with a 2.0-litre engine. Honda’s latest hybrid system works by using the engine as a generator to charge a battery which runs a motor powering the front wheels for the vast majority of the time. Only in a few higher load circumstances does the engine directly power the wheels.
Honda offers the Civic in three trim levels:
- Elegance
- Sport
- Advance
Standard equipment on the Elegance includes blind spot cross traffic monitoring, autonomous braking, speed limiter, lane keeping assist, traffic jam assist, traffic sign recognition, smart entry and start, drive modes, 7-inch driver’s display, dual zone aircon, adaptive cruise control, powered driver’s lumbar support, heated seats, parking sensors, split-fold rear seats, Bluetooth, 9-inch infotainment touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, auto headlights and 17-inch alloys.
Sport trim adds 18-inch alloys, wireless charging, auto dimming rear view mirror, rear aircon vent and front fog lights.
Advance adds adaptive headlights, panoramic glass roof, uprated stereo, heated steering wheel, powered driver’s seat and a 10.2-inch driver’s digital display.
Is The Honda Civic Suitable For My Fleet
The latest Honda Civic is an eminently suitable and sensible fleet choice. Five seats, a decent 410 litre boot, generous equipment levels – particularly on the safety side – make this a great all-rounder. Only the fact that it’s petrol car mean it has at company car tax rating of 27% which can’t compete with BEV and PHEV rivals. However, it’s worth remember that if you pick the lower specification Elegance trim level, CO2 drops to 108g/km and a 26% benefit-in-kind tax band.
As with other Honda’s we’ve tested recently such as the Jazz, fuel consumption is impressive.
Honda claims the Civic will return 47mpg, however, we saw 51.4mpg over a week of mixed driving.
Leasing A Honda Civic
With Honda doing a good job of balancing supply and demand, residuals are strong for the new Civic. However, a lease rate of £569 a month, on a 3+36 basis with 10,000 mile per year from Intelligent Car Leasing puts on a par with premium rivals. But given the higher levels of quality and efficiency this seems entirely fair.
Gensen Reports impressively low running costs at £28 a month for a car covering 10,000 miles a year.
Driving A Honda Civic
Honda has gone all grown up for the latest Civic, and perhaps that’s not surprising when you consider the badge is now more than 50 years old.
Styling is now more muted than before. Gone are all the aggressive lines and in comes a cleaner, less fussy, look.
Inside, the Civic’s cabin is also now a class act. There’s buttons for controls such as the air conditioning and stereo volume, but the look is uncomplicated and easy to use.
The infotainment screen is logical too and quick to respond. The only oddity is that for such a modern car, it’s only equipped with USB A sockets and not the newer, smaller USB C connections.
In most conditions the Civic seems to start any drive under without starting the engine, instead using the electric motor and battery.
With all Civics being automatic, it’s amazing and very welcome to see and (more precisely) hear that Honda has finally managed to build a CVT gearbox that doesn’t whine.
In fact, the gearbox is both smooth and responsive, no doubt helped by the instant shove you get from an electric motor.
While the Civic can be a fun drive with light precise steering and good body control through the corners, the car’s even more impressive in everyday use.
There’s little wind or road noise when you’re on the motorway and round town it copes very well with the UK’s poor road surfaces.
Couple this to excellent seats and the Civic’s cabin is a place you can comfortably accrue high miles in.
FleetandLeasing.com Verdict On The Honda Civic
Quietly gets on with the job of being an excellent family hatchback.
Honda Civic
- Model: Civic Advance
- Power: 181hp
- Torque: 315Nm
- Max speed: 112mph
- 0-62mph: 8.1s
- Fuel economy: 47.0 miles
- Test economy: 51.4 miles
- CO2 emissions: 114g/km
- BIK tax band 2021/22: 27%
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