A global appeal
Honda ups the appeal on its latest Civic Coupe
SANDIEGO>> Maybe the coming of the Honda built Acura NSX supercar, but Honda has changed decades of their car design this past year, and it is a beautiful change, particularly the Civic Coupe.
The Civic is the main gateway into the Honda brand, and that rolls over into the Civic Coupe. The coupe was introduced in 1993 in the fifth generation of the Civic. So far, two million of them have been sold.
The purpose of the Coupe is to attract the attention of Millennial buyers. Honda says their research shows coupe buyers are more image oriented, extroverted and active than those who buy se dans. Plus ,40 percent of buyers are under 35,55 percent are male, and 31 percent are either repeat buyers or end up buying larger Hondas.
Both Honda Civics are built on Honda’s global C-platform but the coupe has slightly different measurements when compared to the Sedan. The Coupe is 5.4-in. shorter on the same wheelbase.
All that length comes out of the rear overhang, pushing the center of weight further towards the rear. Add in a pushed-back A-pillar and the weight balance is closer to optimal. It is also almost an inch lower, and yet the interior is larger than the outgoing coupe. This means there is 91.0 cu. ft. of available passenger space in the LX and 88.6 cu. ft. in the LX-P and above trims.
Hondas designers have created a stunningly modern and sportily aggressive look to this Civic Coupe. The roofline is sharp and aerodynamic. The car seems to have no overhand in front of and behind the wheels. It simply doesn’t look like a compact car. This is enhanced by the lines on the hood, which are quite a bit sharper. Along the car’s sides there are two character lines are crisply creased and flow provocatively to the rear wheel well. In back the rear LED taillights flow from one side of the car to the other.
The design features aren’t all about looks, though. The flow of the roof line, flush mounted acoustic windshield glass and even the completely covered underbody work to improve aerodynamics and reduce noise in the cabin.
But it isn’t all about being pretty. Almost everything mechanical has been changed or tweaked. Most noticeable is in the powertrain.
There are two new aluminum four-cylinder engines, including the first turbocharged engine in a Civic. On the first two trim levels you get the 2.0-liter, which is not a direct gasoline-injection engine. It generates 158-hp. and 138 lb.-ft. of peak torque and is rated at 30 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway.
The more powerful engine is the 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that is direct gasoline injected. It creates 174-hp. and 162 lb.-ft. of peak torque. Interestingly, it’s fuel rating is much the same as the larger but less -powerful base engine at 31 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway.
This car also offers a manual transmission and Honda was pleased to say that the highend turbocharged powered model of the Civic Coupe will offer a manual transmission later this year. That’s quite unusual in the United States, as most manual transmissions are only found on the cheapest model.
Since car enthusiasts are probably the majority of people who still remember how to drive a manual, it Seems funny to limit manuals to cars they would never be interested in buying. If you don’t want to shift for yourself, youcanconnectacontinuouslyvariabletransmission to either engine.
That front suspension is a McPherson strut system and the rear is an independent multiple link suspension. The power steering is electric with variable gear ratio, and the brakes are discs all around. The body is 23 percent stronger in torsional rigidity thanks to it being 63 percent of high-strength steel and 12 percent ultra-high-strength steel. Those numbers are up from 55 percent and 1 percent in the previous model.
Honda is doing something new with this car by having grade-specific tuning that includes damper settings, spring rates and the stabilizer bar setup. And much of this is also tied to different wheels and tires by trim level.
The interior is also redesigned, and is both modern and aggressive. You get a nice sense of sports-car “cocooning” without actually feeling cramped. The seats, which can be heated and power adjusted, are comfortable, with decent support. In the coming sportier models there will be sport seats, but these do a good job of holding you in place without undue squeezing.
There is plenty of soft-touch material where you, uh, touch. This is a must have in new cars today – almost as important as a multitude of features and content. Most noticeable is the thicker and softer center console armrest. The fit and finish is up to the standard one expects of Honda, and it is difficult to remember you are in an entry-level compact car.
The instrument panel is well laid out and easy to read at a glance – the only way you should be reading it while driving a car that’s this much fun. On the dashboard as even-inch screen which controls the sound system, connectivity, the Garmin navigation system, as well as other interior car-control features.
You can also choose to get Apple Car Play and Android Auto to integrate your smartphone with the car’s infotainment system. There is a premium audio system that sounds very good through its 10 speakers and 450 -watts of amplifier power.
The model lineup starts with the LX with a 2-liter engine and a manual transmission starts at $19,050. The LX-P at $20,850 also comes with that engine. Moving up to the EX line the EX-T start sat $22,300 and uses the 1.5 turbo engine. With a starting price of $23,425 the EX-L uses the same drive train, but adds leather, as well as other features.
The top-of-the-line Touring model at $26,125 to start, also is powered by the turbo, and adds Honda Sensing. This active safety suite uses both millimeter wave radar and a monocular camera to detect problems. The package includes collision mitigation braking, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, lane keeping assist system and road departure mitigation. Nice as this safety package is, it is unfortunately only available on the top model.