2015 HONDA Civic Review

The Civic is to the C-segment what the red dot is to the Japanese flag. In a segment where even the Leon had lost its Latino curves only to adopt German edges and lines, where the Golf wears the same exterior body for two generations now and the Focus looks addicted and overly attached to its Aston Martin-esque front grille, Honda Civic is that drop of boldness that disregards the norm.

Think of a student who doesn't want to wear his uniform, going instead for his own style when it comes to clothing. Not a hipster, but someone whose dress code would say "hey, look at me, I'm right here" without falling on the annoying side.

I touched the design matter first because Honda has allowed their designers to have some fun with their scalpels, but in a controlled fashion. As a result, the mid-life facelift applied to the 2015 Civic meant the hatchback earned a pair of artsy LED running lights and a redesigned front bumper.

At the back, the LED parade is kept alive by the arc-shaped taillights and a new spoiler. If you're feeling a taste of the hardcore Civic Type R as you scroll through the photo gallery, don't deny it and trust your gut on this one because you're right. The visual links with the Type R are visible, but they're far from the level of visual misbehavior displayed on the hot hatch version.

However, the optical refreshments are not just for the show, Honda claims. They're meant to lead to better aerodynamics that subsequently would contribute to the hatchback's fuel consumption figures, which I'll address later in this review.

On a personal note, I find the 2015 Honda Civic a bit excessive in terms of exterior styling cues, although seeing the car's front end in the rearview mirror on the highway might be considered by some a pleasant panorama, judging by the thumbs up and appreciative looks we received, ironically, from two VW Golf Mk2 owners we overpassed at some point.

Seats now offer new fabrics and stitching for the headrests, while the doors receive chrome door handles, instead of the previous matte silver choice.

The first thing you notice once you're nicely installed in the driver's seat is the high driving position even on the lowest setting, although the seats leave no room for criticism in terms of comfort, even for long journeys. Your back is relaxingly tucked in and kept in a cozy and proper posture even when it comes to lateral support.

The Civic's interior receives points for ergonomics. Just as the pre-facelift version, you get the feeling every control, button and also the gear lever are part of a driver-centric system. Simply put, it feels like the car creates all the conditions needed for a pleasant ride.

Also, I still find the knee cushion on the outside of the median tunnel a very welcome solution to boost comfort, especially for those with average or above average height like the undersigned.

What doesn't help with keeping this ambiance in good shape is the dashboard arrangement. Although it lost a lot of its crowdedness once the facelift kicked in, there are still too many buttons for the climate control system and the overall dashboard configuration forces the driver to split his or her attention between three displays, which is confusing to say the least, even if it's not the first time you've set foot in a Civic.



This disadvantage is softened by the new infotainment system; the same Honda installed on the facelifted CR-V. Going by the name of Honda Connect, it runs Android 4.0.4 and offers the same familiar pinch, swipe and tap functionality of a smartphone on a seven-inch display screen.

These functions work without major glitches, although the graphics - brought to you by an NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor - are not among the fastest available on the market.

Visually speaking, the interior still has a lot of changes to adopt if it wants to lose its overall monotonous flavor, although materials used vary from decent to good in quality.

Soundproofing is another bonus for the Civic, as it does two things to protect your ears from the unwanted excessive noise. First of all, it keeps the diesel's soundtrack at bay and secondly, it protects the cabin from wind shouting at highway speeds. This adds up to the previously-mentioned comfort enhancers, along with good visibility even on tight corners, where the A-pillar isn't blocking your view of incoming traffic.

What Honda does best to some extent is space management inside their cars, so guess what? The facelifted 2015 Civic makes no exception, mostly due to Honda's fixation for a center fuel tank layout. In other words, the driver and the front passenger sit right on the car's reservoir for a good cause: practicality. Piece of advice: go for the textile seats, as the leather-imitating material available as an option will keep your back sweating like you're riding the treadmill at the gym, which we guess you don't particularly enjoy while driving, right?

This translates into more room in the trunk, which offers 477 liters of storage space, a way more generous figure compared to what the VW Golf (380 liters) and the Ford Focus (318 liters) brag with. This should also make small families happy, coupled with the cleverly-spread storage compartments and pockets throughout the cabin.

The luggage space volume to the roof lining goes up to 1,378 liters once the rear seats are down. There's also an underfloor compartment that brings an additional space of 75 liters, enough to store two flight cases, for example.

We would have liked a lower height for the loading lip of the boot because handling heavy or big pieces of luggage is not made easier by the rather high trunk edge.

In the back, comfort is the name of the game for only two adults, maybe joined by a child but forget about fitting three grown-up friends buddies in the back if you still want them to remain your friends after the trip is over.

However, legroom is decent, as well as headroom, provided you're slightly shorter than 1.8 m (5 ft 10 in). Honda's Magic Seats system found its way in the 2015 Civic facelift and proves useful in those situations where you want to transport an LCD screen, or a foldable table, for example, but otherwise, they lead to a drop in comfort compared to what the competition brings to the table.

We tested the 2015 Civic facelift powered by a 1.6-liter i-DTEC diesel engine, which happens to be the car's strongest point if we look at it from an efficiency perspective. However, some might see it as Achilles’ heel for the Civic, especially if they are looking for a crisp response.

Here’s why: the diesel unit sends 120 horsepower at 4,000 rpm and 300 Nm (221 lb-ft) of torque to the front wheels, which on paper provide enough muscle for a model like the Civic. However, maximum torque unleashes only around 2,000 rpm, later than in similar engines from the competition, forcing you to work the six-speed manual gearbox much harder than you'd normally have to in a Golf or a Focus with diesel beating hearts.



Nonetheless, the 1.6-liter has a few aces up its sleeve. For starters, it's 45 kilos (99.2 lbs) lighter than the 2.2-liter engine it replaces thanks to an aluminum cylinder head joined to an open deck aluminum block. Also, the thickness of the cylinder walls is reduced to 8 mm, down 1 mm compared to the same 2.2-liter mill.

What this engine fully masters is fuel economy. Official fuel consumption ratings from Honda claim the car will drink 4.0 l/100 km (58.8 mpg US) in the urban cycle, 3.3 l/100 km (71.2 mpg US) in extra urban conditions and 3.6 l/100 km (65.3 mpg US) combined.

CO2 emissions fall around 94 g/km, while, in terms of performance, Honda Civic i-DTEC will not make any jaws drop, but that's not what in wants in the first place.

As exaggerated the fuel consumption figures might look, in real-life conditions the facelifted Civic equipped with the 1.6-liter i-DTEC mill is what you want if you're keen on burning less fuel. At highway speeds (130 km/h or roughly 80 mph), the car's onboard computer displayed an instant consumption value of 5.0 l/100 km (47 mpg US).

City cruising is done swiftly, thanks to the short tight first ratios of the six-speed manual - which is very precise, should you ask - and once you're out on the open road, it allows you to reach sixth gear fast enough, again, to favor a low fuel consumption habit.

Outside the urban jungle, it's best not to demand sportiness from the car. Although you feel like the gearbox is on your side thanks to precise shifts, the rest of the car won't work for you so in order to avoid disappointment, the best solution is to stick to a mild, comfort-focused driving style. After all, that's what the Civic stands for.

Responsible for that is the suspension, which is biased towards a comfortable ride rather than spectacular handling. What the suspension does best is absorb and neutralize various bumps in the road, but keep in mind that larger wheels will make it less efficient.

Although Honda operated a series of chassis tweaks - changing damper rates and adding new anti-roll bars and bushes - the Civic's steering is still hazy, so don't expect it to communicate too much about what's happening to the front wheels. There's more weight in the steering wheel at times, but not enough to convince us the car deserves the "sporty" attribute.

Tech and safety-wise, the facelifted 2015 Honda Civic brings a new automatic low speed braking system applied as standard that will work wonders in the city, but only at speeds below 32 km/h (20 mph).

Also, there's High Beam Support, Lane Departure Warning, and Traffic Sign Recognition to make your life easier behind the wheel next the Blind Spot Information and the Cross Traffic Monitor function.

The cheapest Civic you can buy starts at €16,990 (roughly $18,747 at current exchange rates), while the i-DTEC powered version will remove at least €20,790 from your wallet (around $22,940 at current exchange rates).

As a comparison, a Volkswagen Golf equipped with the 1.6-liter TDI diesel engine starts at €21,875 ($24,137), while a Ford Focus fitted with the 1.5-liter TDCi plant wears a starting sticker of €20,910 (roughly $23,072 at current exchange rates).

All in all, the facelift didn't alter the original purpose of the Civic, which remains heavily oriented on comfort and practicality? You won't get the same on-the-road agility as you normally find in a Golf or a Focus, but the Civic excels when it comes to boot space and overall comfort, although the backseat could be a tad more welcoming.

Another major advantage is the frugal diesel engine Honda fitted the Civic with, one that should be taken into consideration if saving fuel money is what you're after. Also, you'll get the Japanese reliability and a slower depreciation rate, topped by unparalleled practicality in the C segment.

Small families might find a good compromise in the package called Honda Civic facelift. Also, its design might not please all the buyers out there, and it definitely hints at sporty capabilities the Civic lacks at the moment, but in the end, buying a Civic is a matter of priorities. If you favor comfort and smooth rides, Honda Civic might be the answer, but if you're willing to compromise for a slightly effervescent driving experience while staying in this segment, maybe you should look elsewhere as there's plenty of fish in the sea to choose from.