Honda Civic: Solid ninth generation arrives in NZ

Honda NZ has been without a Civic model since June, following supply problems after Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami. Photo / Supplied

Honda's ultimate goal, says New Zealand managing director Graeme Seymour, is to be the No1 company in mobility.

"Imagine, for example, Honda delivering mobility to paraplegics," he said. One of the reasons Honda built robots like Asimo, Seymour said, was to study the balance of objects, the tipping point.

"It takes about 200 muscles for humans to walk. Once you understand that, isolate the role of each muscle, you get a better appreciation of engineering.

"That is one of the benefits of miniaturisation. It's about learning to control balance, making fine adjustments.

"Think of a car going in one direction. The steering wheel might be pointing there, but is that the exact intended line? It's all about balance and fine adjustments."

Honda has made a number of fine adjustments to its ninth-generation Civic, launched this week on a mix of roads through Auckland and the Waikato.

Among them are more interior space, improved fuel economy, a stronger body, electric power steering, slick Bluetooth link ... compulsory enhancements these days.

The new Japan-built sedan is a welcome addition to a thin fleet. Honda NZ has been without Civic since June last year, a supply after-effect of the March earthquake in Japan. "The earthquake and the floods in Thailand delayed many products," said Seymour.

The Civic is the first of two vital vehicles this year. It will be followed in July by the CR-V crossover, offering a choice of both front-drive and all-wheel-drive and either 2-litre or 2.4-litre engines.

Four Civic variants are available, all badged "S". The 1.8-litre i-VTEC five-speed manual $32,900, 1.8-litre five-speed automatic $34,900, 2-litre five-speed automatic $38,500 and 1.5-litre hybrid $43,500.

The 1.8-litre unit is an update on the outgoing model's Euro4 compliant engine. It delivers 104kW at 6500rpm and 174Nm at 4300rpm with claimed fuel use for the manual of 6.8 litres/100km and 6.7 litres/100km for the automatic. The previous model was rated at 7.2 litres/100km.

The 2-litre i-VTEC engine produces 114kW at 6500rpm and 190Nm at 4300rpm. Honda claims town-and-around fuel use of 7.5 litres/100km, against 8.2 litres/100km for the old model.

The Hybrid gets a 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine mated to an upgraded 17kW electric motor. The previous hybrid Civis ran a 1.3-litre engine.

The Civic's Integrated Motor Assist mild hybrid system uses both engine power and regenerative braking technology to recharge the new lithium-ion battery pack, which replaces the cheaper nickel-metal hydride pack used in the old model.

The powertrain is matched with a CVT automatic transmission, providing claimed fuel use of 4.4 litres/100km and a CO2 emissions rating of 104g/km.

The combined output of the engine and motor is 82kW/172Nm - slightly down on power from the previous model but up on torque.

In a nutshell, the new Civic range offers more of the same conservative practicality. Cabin ergonomics are first-class, so is the instrument display and overall refinement.

Ride and handling was pretty good too. This is the first Civic to get electric power steering. Like most such systems it is quick and direct but lacks communication with the road. This was obvious even on the best surfaces.

The Civic's thrifty engines shout a lot under throttle. Things might change under Honda's Earth Dreams banner revealed this week at Geneva.