While the Honda Civic is one of the longest running nameplates in the automobile industry, the outgoing iteration does have its work cut out for itself. Competition within the C-segment sedan stable is rife with some really accomplished offerings from several automakers, and the new tenth-generation Honda Civic is certainly one of the best amongst them. Some of the Civic’s most compelling challengers include the Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra, and Mazda 3. First unveiled back in late 2015, the latest-gen Civic sports a modern and eye-catching fastback design on the outside, with a well-made and fairly stylish interior. The Civic now uses Honda’s new (compact) Global Platform for its underpinnings, which has helped engineers make the new model strike a near perfect balance between handling and ride quality than any of its predecessors ever possessed.
In the United Arab Emirates, the new Honda Civic is available in up to four different variants; starting with the entry-level 1.6 DX which is priced at AED 69,900, ending up at the range-topping 1.5 RS that wears a sticker price of AED 98,900. Apart from these two, there are the two mid-tier variants of the Civic, including the 1.6 LX Sport and the slightly better equipped 2.0 EX trim; the former starts from AED 72,900, while the latter costs AED 86,900. Aside from their prices, there are other notable differences between the Civic LX and EX, too, chief amongst which has to do with what’s under the hood. In its LX trim, the Honda Civic that’s sold in the UAE comes fitted with a 1.6-liter normally-aspirated inline four-cylinder engine. It’s equipped with a single overhead camshaft and gets four valves per cylinder, in all producing 123hp at a high 6,500 rpm and 151Nm of peak torque at 4,300 rpm -- all of it is sent to the front wheels via continuously variable transmission (CVT).
However, the fact of the matter is that the 1.6-liter unit in the Civic doesn’t translate into stellar, tire-screeching performance on the road. Even if you pin the gas pedal, the Civic 1.6 will still need over 11.5 seconds to get past the 100 km/h barrier, with maximum speed restricted to 200 km/h. If fuel economy is of prime importance to you, though, this motor’s 5.4 L/100 km figure is nothing short of fantastic. Meanwhile, if you pay an additional 14,000 dirhams or so, you can get the keys for the Civic EX variant. It comes powered by a 2.0-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder that also uses dual overhead cams for a total power output of 158hp at 6,500 rpm and 187Nm of maximum torque at 4,300 revs. And while the gearbox is still a CVT, the pokier motor means that 0 to 100 km/h now shows up in less than 9 seconds; though top speed stays the same at 200 km/h. Of course, fuel economy takes a slight hit, with a combine cycled figure that’s rated at 6.9 L/100 km.
In terms of its equipment, the Honda Civic LX Sport gets 17-inch alloy rims, LED daytime-running lights (DRLs), front & rear fog lights, decklid spoiler, remote-controlled engine starter, keyless entry with push-button ignition, paddle shifters, sport pedals, cruise control, automatic air-conditioning with rear vents, electronic parking brake with auto-hold function, multifunction steering wheel, 4-speaker sound system, and a 5-inch infotainment system with support for USB and Bluetooth. You also get safety tech such as dual front airbags, Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), Emergency Stop Signal (ESS), Hill Start Assist (HSA), Agile Handling Assist (AHA), Traction Control System (TCS) and Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA). The Civic EX trim further adds a power sunroof, dual-zone climate control, leather-wrapped steering upgraded sound system with Apple CarPlay & HDMI support, Honda’s Multi Angle rearview camera, LaneWatch, 7-inch touch-infotainment head unit, and a total of six airbags.
