It’s hard to believe, but Honda’s iconic Civic now has over 53 years of heritage in the UK, and over 30 million units have been sold across 170 countries. In fact, in our opinion, this Honda’s biggest challenge is the dwindling demand for C-segment cars thanks to SUV choices. So, with many manufacturers exiting the market, and to stop Civic sales slipping further, Honda has given its 11th generation Civic a mid-life facelift.
Exterior styling changes include new-look front grilles, a new grille and headlight garnish, a revised front bumper, and a new body-coloured lower bumper spoiler. There are also new 18in alloy wheel designs with the mid-range Sport and range-topping Advance equipment grades.
Inside, there’s new black roof and pillar trim, and new matte chrome air vent detailing. The Advance grade now includes interior illumination and footwell lights, while the Sport grade gains a heated steering wheel and 10.2in driver display.
That’s all well and good, but of more interest to fleet buyers is the fact that this Honda is still only available with the e:HEV powertrain. This is made up of a 2.0-litre direct injection Atkinson-cycle engine, two electric motors, a new power control unit and an intelligent power unit. Together they produce 184hp and 315Nm of torque.
This is all held together by the e-CVT system, that despite the name is not a continuously variable transmission – in fact there’s no gearbox at all. Confused? We were. However, instead, the clever clutch pack seamlessly switches between each power source. Cleverer is the way the system simulates gear changes and changes the exhaust note in Sport mode. This illusion is carried on with the proper rev counter and steering paddles – although those don’t change gear and instead adjust the regenerative braking.
Design and interior
Outside, the facelifted changes are so minimal, it’s hard to tell the difference between a pre-facelift model and this one. Still the Civic remains the lowest (1.41m) car in its class.
Look closer at the front, and you’ll spot the facelifted Civic, as Honda has deleted the fog lights, since the company believes the new LED headlights are bright enough to make them redundant. The side of the Civic remains uncluttered, with flush door handles, mirror mounted to the door below the beltline and clean detailing around the rear quarters. The back is most identified by the large rear light clusters stretching across the top of the boot.
The last Civic we drove was the latest, brilliant Type R, which Honda has recently retired. Many of the fastest Civics were finished in the same Championship White finish as our Advance test car, and we thought the white really suited this Honda’s shape.
Inside, the slim dashboard is still dominated by the 9in touchscreen and the mesh detailing down the centre, now in matte chrome finish, hiding the air vents. Talking about ventilation, we really appreciated the physical controls. A high centre console runs down the middle, housing the drive controls, welcome bottle holders and wireless charging unit. Quality, as you expect, feels a cut above rivals.
Space is good in the front, and the leather trimmed seats are supportive. Things aren’t quite so good in the back for taller passengers, as the Advance’s standard sunroof, plus the curvy roof line, eats into the headroom. Rear legroom is only average, but the 410-litre boot is practically shaped.
The new Civic is available in Elegance, Sport and the range-topping Advance (the version we drive here) grades. All are well-equipped, with the Sport expected to be the best-seller for fleet.
Performance and drive
Hit the road, and even a few years after launch, this Honda still surprises at how good it is to drive. The ride on the Advance’s standard 18in wheels is still impressively composed and not too bothered by road imperfections. The steering has real weight and is impressively precise. Plus, the handling is sharp, and grippy. The Civic doesn’t feel that fast to drive, but even though we tried, it’s impossible to stop it being impressively frugal. Honda claim an official 56.5mpg figure, and it didn’t drop much below 50mpg during the whole week we had the car. Plus, there’s a 114g/km CO2 emissions figure and 28% BIK rating.
Honda sees the latest Toyota Corolla as this Civic’s keenest rival. We like the Toyota, but the Honda is still the better car in our opinion.
Positive: Keen drive, quality feel, driver-friendly interior layout, impressively efficient, practically shaped boot.
Negative: Comprised rear space and headroom, annoying warnings, anonymous styling, not a cheap choice.
Engines: Hybrid: 181hp
Equipment grades: Elegance, Sport, Advance
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
| Model | Honda Civic Advance |
| P11D | £38,695 |
| Residual value | TBC |
| Depreciation | TBC |
| Fuel | £5,480 |
| Service, maintenance and repair | TBC |
| Cost per mile | TBC |
| Fuel consumption | 56.5mpg |
| CO2 (BIK%) | 114g/km (28%) |
| BIK 20/40% a month | £181/£361 |
| Luggage capacity | 410 litres |
| Engine size/power | 1,993cc/181hp |
| Score | 8/10 |
