2012 Honda Civic Sedan and Coupe
It’s always an exciting event in the world of automobiles when a new Honda Civic makes its debut. Even though it has been Canada’s best-selling car for many years, the Civic does get a total update now and again and 2012 is the year.
As before, there are sedan and coupe versions and also, there’s a performance Si variant available to enthusiasts or those who’d just like a little more power and handling. The car has all-new sheet metal, but isn’t dramatically different from its predecessor to look at, which is understandable since Honda really got it right with the old car. There are some new styling touches and I especially liked the new rear lighting arrangement, which has a little more character than the old. The Coupe, though, looks even sleeker.
The cabin is all-new too and quite different than that of the earlier Civic. I like the way Honda has the instruments laid out in this car - the main ones, including the speedometer, are on the top of the cluster and the large digital readouts are easy to see without taking your eyes off the road ahead. It’s much easier to monitor speed in well-policed zones with instruments like this. The seating is well formed and comfortable and there seems to be a little more hip room than hitherto. I’d certainly say that this is a roomier Civic and thus easier to live with on a day-to-day basis.
The entry level car features cloth seating which is very nicely done, front and rear power windows and a 4-speaker AM/FM/CD sound system - not bad for a car that’s quite roomy and sells for less than $15,000. Civic power comes from a new 1.8-litre, 4-valve, 4-cylinder that develops a respectable 140-horsepower. These engines are a delight and almost without equal in the world of 4-cylinder powerplants. Basic transmission is a 5-speed manual. An automatic transmission is available as an option, of course. Your dealer will confirm which transmissions you can get with which Civic models.
The Civic Coupe Si sits at the top of the range and features nicely executed 2-door styling, though the doors are wide and it’s quite easy to climb into the back. This was the most recent 2012 Civic I tested and it came very fully equipped. This sportiest member of the new generation Civic family has a responsive 2.4-litre i-VTEC engine mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. The car’s 201-horsepower has an impressive effect on this Civic’s performance and handling is agile - a real enthusiast’s car. The way this car takes off is impressive and it has to be the quickest Civic Honda has ever conjured up. A fully equipped Civic Si has 4-wheel ABS disc brakes, air conditioning, power glass sunroof, remote locking, an upgraded audio system and other goodies besides the high-performance engine and you can go on building from there - right the way up to a navigation system.
There’s not much doubt that these new Civics will be as popular as the many generations that went before them. Given Honda’s build quality, durability and performance, it’s something you can pretty well count on.