CAR OF THE YEAR : HONDA CIVIC
Every now and then, you get a car that defies convention. One that breaks the established mould, ducks the trend and forges a new path. It’s risky but once in a while, things just click. This leaves the competition scratching its head and sends them back to the drawing board. This car actually did that.
We could almost hear the fanfare when we saw this car for the first time. An instant shocker! The Civic ducked the ‘taller-for-space’ trend prevalent in the industry and went all swoopy and low. And it’s not just the sports-car profile that grabs your blinkers. The cab-forward stance actually complements the flowing lines that stream over bonnet, windscreen, roof and boot. Add the unique nose of the car, heavily sculpted lines, radical details like the headlights and short boot and you have a car you can’t take your eyes off. This is true for the inside as well given the materials used together in a new way, an aircraft cockpit-like ‘Heads Up Display’ just below the windscreen, a level of fit and finish that transcends the segment and it has comfortable and supportive seats.
Drive the car and the picture is complete. This isn’t just new design, new styling and new stance. This is new thinking, new direction and new driving dynamics. The new 1.8 Honda motor embraces the past and the future. It has 130 galloping, silk-lined Honda horses and a top-end performance that is strong enough to satiate the most demanding of power junkies. At the same time, it’s much more efficient in the bottom half of the powerband, using a seriously improved version of Honda’s pioneering variable valve timing and lift. This new motor is massively refined too, actually so quiet at cruising speeds, you begin to hear the car more than the motor.
However, the ride quality isn’t the best in the world. It damps out the road well enough but doesn’t insulate the cabin like some of its competition. The upside of the stiffer springs and dampers is the incredible agility of the car. Tweak the very fast-acting and well-weighted steering, point the Civic into a corner and change in direction is done in a snap, effortlessly. Fantastic body control and super grip mean it masks speed really well too. You’ll simply love the light and direct five-speed manual or the paddle shift five-speed automatic. The judges would have liked higher seats, a more absorbent ride and more boot space, but none of these are issues strong or serious enough to make an impact on the overall brilliance of the Civic. This car could have also won the award for the best value car, the best driver’s car and best designed car. It almost did! A clear winner.
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:: AUTOCAR INDIA - CAR AND BIKE MAGAZINE ::
Cnbc-tv18 Autocar Auto Awards 2007
