IN THIS FEATURE Instant emotional reaction Usefulness and space Cutting edge kit

But the heart of the Civic argument has always been about usefulness and space. Honda's designers fretted about what compromises this eighth Civic needed to make in order for it to retain the concept's severe styling. The most obvious concession is rearward visibility. The two-paned, smoked-glass tailgate is bisected by a spoiler that effectively halves what you can see through the rear-view mirror. Also, to keep the concept's high window line and bold rear pillar design, those in the back have to settle for feeling like they're in a cabin on the lower decks of a cruise ship, peering through the porthole-like rear windows. That said, there's plenty of headroom and legroom in the back, as up front, so you're not left feeling too claustrophobic despite the lack of daylight. A more airy cabin can be had, though, with the option of a full-length panoramic glass roof.

Quality not quite up to scratch

Compromise number two: the futuristic cabin treatment can come across as tacky. Honda took great pains at the technical unveiling to plug the new Civic as a 'premium sports compact'. But sadly, the ultramodern cabin just doesn't shout class. Innovation yes, material quality no. We quizzed the interior designer Yukio Emi - via a rather embarrassed translator - about his influences when he was creating the Civic's interior look. "I tried to model it on a spaceship," he said. Fair enough, but if your inspiration is largely fantastical, the final product may appeal to a limited number of buyers. The Civic's ergonomics and roominess can't be disputed, though, especially for the person sitting behind the wheel. A two-tiered approach to the dials and information display has been adopted, so that the driver doesn't have to lift his eyes from the road to gauge speed and other basic data. And the air-con and stereo controls are sited close the driver, and a big red starter button peeks out from the side of the steering wheel. The gearlever, or 'spaceball' as Honda likes to call it, is placed further forward than a traditional gearlever, but not as high up the centre console as on the current Civic, so it feels less like you're driving an MPV, and more like a sporty hatch.

But the general mood of the new Civic's cockpit just didn't conjure up the future; rather, a kind of kitsch vision of the future that TV shows such as Knight Rider so famously got wrong. One thing's for sure, though: the quality of materials on these almost-production models - especially the hard-baked plastics on the dash and centre console, felt more Fisher-Price than high-price. Honda bods assured us that the final versions will have tidier, more appealing cabins.