The new Honda Civic

When was the last time you actually felt a connection with the car you were driving? These days more and more cars seem to be taking away that sense of involvement by sealing you off from the driving experience. One manufacturer who is bucking this trend is Honda. For the Japanese marque, driving should be fun, exciting and involving, which is why the British-built Honda Civic is an experience for the senses. Driving this car you feel part of the engineering and have an instant connection with everything the car is doing.

With its groundbreaking design the Civic has helped to revolutionised the way consumers and manufacturers think about the cars we drive. It's a five door, with the dynamic, sporty look of a three door. It's extremely spacious and versatile inside without compromising on quality or comfort. But what makes the Civic really different is its radical approach to the driving experience. The aim is simple: you shouldn’t just think this is a great car, you should feel it.

Let’s cut to the chase. This is the most exciting passenger car Honda has ever built. From its dynamic, radical styling to its aggressive, purposeful stance, it truly is ground breaking. Every angle shows an innovation, an idea, a way of doing things better. And, just for the record, the hype appears to be true – when Honda’s manufacturing department saw the initial designs they said it couldn’t be built. Which is exactly what makes this car even more remarkable and says volumes about the brand.

The front of the Civic is short and low. This creates a much sportier shape and enhances performance. The tapered spoiler set into the curved rear windscreen improves aerodynamics and complements the sleek lines. This shape also makes it water repellent, so there’s no need for a wiper. At the front, wrap-around head lights, triangular fog lights and a low, honeycombed front grille create a distinctive look.

At the back, the curved rear window gives you a better view and a bigger boot. How big? Well with it’s extra, concealed boot space you get 485 litres, the biggest boot in its class. There’s plenty of room for passengers too. Three adults will sit comfortably in the rear and the glass roof gives you the feeling of even more space.

In the front, the dual zone driver’s environment features Honda’s Multiplex central information display, which consists of two distinct zones. On the upper zone you’ll find climate control, speed and radio information. It’s all in your peripheral vision and has the feeling of ‘just being there’. The lower zone contains the multi-function driver computer. This puts average speed, fuel consumption, outside temperature and the distance you can travel before you need to refuel directly in front of you.

As for performance, the choice of powerful yet ultra-quiet i-CTDi diesel or the latest version of Honda’s remarkable i-VTEC petrol engine gives you the perfect combination of performance with frugality. In the i-CDTI models you’ll enjoy 0-62 times of 8.6 seconds and combined fuel economy of 55.4 mpg.

What’s unique about the Honda Civic is that all aspects of the car combine to offer that rare thing – a seamless, involving and thoroughly enjoyable driving experience.

This truly is what a Honda feels like.