29 Jan 07
If you like your games a little faster and edgier, you can always hang on a few more months for the new Type-R. I've just been to Goodwood race circuit to give the hot hatch a good pasting, finding out just what kind of dynamic abilities are lurking beneath the seventh-generation model's futuristic body. You can read 4Car's verdict in the Type-R Road Test .
I've gone on record many times as saying that the previous Type-R was too brash, too narrow in its spread of talents to convince as an everyday driver's car. But given the new Civic's vastly superior levels of refinement, quality and usability, this one's a different story.
It still has its work cut out persuading me that a high-revving 2.0-litre petrol is a better overall bet than this flexible, torquey 2.2-litre i-CDTi, however. Pick-up from low engine speeds is smooth and responsive, with the turbo coming fully on song (literally; it produces quite a whistle when you floor the throttle) by 1,750rpm. The limiter doesn't kick in until 5,000rpm, but by then the torque curve has dropped off and all three red lights on the gearshift indicator light up to tell you to change up.
On the opposite side of the digital speedometer is a bank of six green lights that tell you how economically you're driving. If only all taxis had this gadget - it might stop them from juddering around everywhere in fifth gear under the false assumption that a high gear equals low fuel consumption. As the meter bears out, light throttle openings and a decent amount of revs is the best way to minimise time at the pumps.
When I'm really bored I sometimes see if I can go a whole journey without falling below two blobs. Good, clean, CO2-reducing fun, and equally beneficial to the bank balance.
