2019 Honda Civic review, road test

The Civic returns to India after seven years, in its 10th-gen avatar, and now gets a diesel engine.

Published on Jun 03, 2019 07:00:00 AM

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At 430 litres, it’s got the smallest boot capacity in its segment.

Honda’s obsession with keeping the Civic’s centre of gravity as low as possible to optimise its dynamics has paid off handsomely. It’s safe to say that the Civic has the best ride and handling in its class and that makes it a joy to drive. The low stance keeps the car nicely tied down and there’s little body roll when pushing hard through corners. Like the old car, the steering is pretty quick off centre, but it doesn’t weight up in a linear way and feels a touch inconsistent. Also, the turning radius of 5.85m isn’t particularly good, due to the large wheels that limit the steering lock. But show it a twisty road and the Civic will dart from corner to corner with the verve and fluency of a true sports sedan. You’ll rue the fact that there’s not enough power to exploit the potential of the Civic’s stiff and well-balanced chassis.

Rounds off bad roads, filtering most shocks out of the cabin.

The ride is relatively stiff but not to the point of being harsh and, overall, the suspension is well judged to ensure that it doesn’t stray away from the car’s main focus – which is to be a comfortable executive sedan.

Cabin insulation is particularly good and this is one of the most refined cars you can have at its price point, with only a bit of road noise filtering through.

Tall central hump increases structural rigidity, but is quite intrusive for the middle occupant.

The good news is that the new Civic clears most speed breakers with ease and doesn’t suffer from the poor ground clearance of the earlier model, which made owners wince or change their route every time they saw even a moderately sized speed hump.