Honda Civic (2006-) Review

On the road

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Honda has always trumpeted its commitment to four-wheel independent wishbone suspension, so its abandonment of that set-up at the rear in favour of a torsion beam has raised eyebrows. The company says that it has done so to create a "good balance between the demands of packaging, performance and weight."

The reality on the road, though, is far less dramatic than the cynics would have you believe. Makers like Peugeot have used torsion bar and beam set-ups for decades, and they've produced some of the best handling hatches we've ever driven.

Indeed, the Civic's handling is totally secure, with remarkably high levels of cornering grip and a reasonably flat stance. The only time a keen driver might notice the absence of wishbones at the back is when encountering a particularly rough bit of road mid-corner.

Otherwise, the Civic's suspension set-up gets the job done nicely, albeit without the throttle adjustability and communication of the best of breed. Our only complaint on this front is an overly firm low-speed ride quality.

The electric power steering is particularly quick, too, with just 2.2 turns from lock to lock. Reasonably well weighted, it also has very strong self-centering, which won't be to everyone's taste.

Three engines are on offer, an 83bhp 1.4 and 140bhp 2.0 petrol and a 140bhp 2.2-litre diesel.

We haven't tried the 1.4 petrol, but with a quoted 0-62mph time of 14.6sec, a lack of performance could be an issue. The 1.8, though, pulls reasonably well, posting a 0-62mph time of 8.9secs. This VTEC engine feels most responsive when mated to the six-speed manual gearbox, less so when matched with Honda's i-SHIFT automated manual transmission. Shifts are slow and clumsy, much more so than with a conventional automatic transmission. We don't think the efficiency gains are worth it, either.

Predictably, the star of the range is the 2.2-litre diesel. Here is an engine that develops nearly twice the torque at half the revs (251lb ft at 2,000rpm) of its equally powerful 140bhp 1.8-litre petrol sibling. So performance is flexible, relaxed and gratifyingly punchy in that crucial 2,000-4,000rpm rev range. It's also a refined cruising engine, much more so than its petrol sibling.