Cars

Fussy styling spoils Civic reception

From the front and side, the new Honda Civic has a lot of sharp creases and angles in its bodywork...
From the front and side, the new Honda Civic has a lot of sharp creases and angles in its bodywork... From the front and side, the new Honda Civic has a lot of sharp creases and angles in its bodywork...

HONDA has been making a Civic model for 40 years, and a tenth generation of the popular family car is about to be sprung upon us, writes William Scholes.

Casual observers might be wondering by now if Honda is on a mission to make each new Civic even madder looking than the one that preceded it.

In 2005, hot on the tail of the distinctive 'breadvan' models, came a dramatically styled hatchback seemingly inspired by Buck Rogers. Among its madder flourishes were arrow-shaped door handles and a tailgate window horizontally bisected by a spoiler, cunningly positioned so the driver couldn't see everything behind them.

This idiosyncratic feature was retained for 2011's ninth generation. It was apparently designed to give people an idea of what the Buck Rogers car would look like if it was put in a microwave and blasted at full power for 20 seconds.

The new tenth generation car looks unhappier than ever, at least in the photos Honda has thus far released.

Admittedly these things are in the eye of the beholder, but they appear to show a car without a single attractive angle and bestowed with some awful detailing. Perhaps it will look friendlier in the metal...

It's probably worth quoting in full what Honda itself has to say about the Civic's exterior design: "The purposeful silhouette makes a confident statement about the Civic's sporty character.

"Wider, longer, and lower than any of its predecessors, the all-new Civic has short overhangs and taut lines that reference the high levels of aerodynamic efficiency.

"A sharp and aggressive 'face', pronounced wheel-arches and sculpted front and rear intakes hint at the Civic's sporting character."

So there.

Whatever about the offbeat styling, underneath the skin the Civic has always remained true to its family car roots, being well-built and practical.

Sadly, the new Civic loses the outgoing car's so-called 'magic seats', which fold and tumble to release space in the back which might otherwise go wasted, and which are a very clever and useful piece of design.

As one would expect in 2016 from an all-new car from one of the world's leading car manufacturers, the Civic gets up-to-date technology, with the latest 'infotainment', smartphone connectivity and safety kit.

Honda promises that the car will be more fun to drive than the so-so outgoing model and that it boasts ride, handling, steering and refinement to match premium brands' products.

Brand new turbocharged petrol engines of three-cylinder 1.0-litre and four-cylinder 1.5-litre flavours are available at launch, paired with either a six-speed manual or a CVT automatic gearbox.

Honda's excellent diesel engine isn't due to find its way under the Civic's bonnet until the end of 2017, and a hybrid model is a possibility. An estate is expected to join the line-up eventually, and the hot Type R, the black car pictured, will arrive next year.

The new car is already on sale in the United States - British-built cars are being shipped there - but it isn't due to go on sale in Northern Ireland until early 2017. Maybe we'll have got more used to the fussy styling by then...