Test drive Honda Civic sedan since 2008 sedan

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Is it easier or bad?
The first test of the new Honda Civic was held in the south of Spain. Even in November, on the coast of Malagi there is excellent dry weather. Although the matter is not only in the climate. Between the ancient port city and the car long -liver from Honda, you can now trace a certain connection.

Malaga today is just a modern city that serves giant containers. He does not make a proper impression on the traveler. Yes, here you can see the Roman Fort Alkasaba and a couple of churches, go to the Automobile Museum or Picasso Museum (the famous artist originally from this city), but against the background of Barcelona and Madrid Malaga is lost.

Almost the same can be said about the new generation of Honda Civic. Yes, the design is still recognizable, but despite the very impressive car history of 9 generations in 39 years, there is nothing special to look at. I even made a short list of those stunning details that we will no longer see on the new five -door.

The large Honda logo in a transparent plastic case between the front and rear headlights now looks modest (left).


A silver gas tank hatch (right), replaced with a circle in the color of the body (left).


The triangular edging of silencers for metal (right) changed nothing to the emm (left).


Spectacular triangular fog lights (on the right) gave way to a primitive strip of diode lamps (left).


The arrow -shaped silver door handles (on the right) were changed to banal handles in the color of the body (left).


The space design of the salon (on the right) was rethought, and now it officially resembles only the cockpit of the formula 1 (left).

The image of the bird before take -off? And this is after the spaceship? I would like to believe that the new Civic is from those cars that you get used to it over time, but it seems to me that he lost too many beautiful details and repeat the success with which his predecessor entered the market is unlikely to be able to. The fuse is not enough. Yes, a live car looks better than in the picture. Despite the departed artifacts, he nevertheless retained his flavor. But unusual bodies of the body can only be seen from the back of the front Civic has become easier.

Maybe it is for the better? After all, in recent years, a lot of adversity has fallen on Honda. Tsunami, flood in Thailand and an unstable national currency course, everything plays against Honda. Perhaps that is why the Japanese approached the creation of a new car with all their meticulousness.

They listened very carefully to all the reviews about the previous Civic and carefully analyzed them. Moreover, the complaints were mainly from the Europeans either in America or in Japan, the five -door Civic was not sold. By the way, his absence in the Japanese market surprised me. When I asked why, it turned out that in his homeland they were quite dismissive about golf class cars. At least in the philosophy of Japanese customers of Honda this model, in fact, does not exist. In the city, they try to drive small cars like JAZZ, and if the funds allow, they are transplanted immediately to Accord. In modern Japan, Civic is perceived only in the form of a version of Type-R, as a sports car for outdoor activities.

But back to the feedback. The Europeans said about the old Tsivik severe truth is a harsh suspension, the quality of materials in the cabin at class B level, and the review back is generally dubious. Often, car manufacturers look at the appearance of such complaints through their fingers, but then the voice of the people was heard and the Japanese tried to get rid of all the shortcomings with their own meticulousness.

The most important thing is new tactile and tactile sensations. The doors are slammed with expensive cotton, as in Accord and Legend, the salon materials were seriously redone. The interior uses a soft coating of the central console, and those rough plastic inserts that remain, no longer creak in quality, the cabin is not inferior to European competitors.

Let there are no more cosmic charm inside, thanks to the instruments in the wells, it was possible to maintain a sense of sports. And the steering wheel, despite the general tendency to lose weight, remained pleasantly chubby. In general, by ergonomics and decoration, the Japanese clearly advanced far ahead. The car no longer gives the impression of rattles that the previous hatchback sinned. Even the microlift of the lids of the cup holders does not creak!

As for the view back, the situation has changed dramatically. The janitor appeared, and the developers tried to place the dividing strip between the two glasses a little higher, so as not to interfere with the headlights of cars approaching behind. In general, it worked, but how do not move the barrier in the visibility zone, it will still be a little underwear.

Interior


The Honda Civic salon from the cosmic has turned into an office - now there are fewer details, circles and curved lines, and more flat turns.


Strictly, concise, efficiently, but a little boring. But ergonomics at a height - in fact, there is nothing to complain about.


I really liked the leather chairs. The quality of the finish is generally ordinary, but sitting is convenient. There is even an electric drive of a gait-out-support support.

Only three Elegance, Sport and Executive promise sets. There are not many differences between them. Pillows and ESP in the database, and then add xenon, machine gun, radio and panoramic glass. In the top on the central console there will be a red -colored engine start button. She moved to the right side of the steering wheel, and on the left is now the green button of the ECO Assist economical mode, which helps to additionally optimize fuel consumption.

At the intersections, the car stalls for the sake of saving. It seems that the discrepancy with the passport data of gluttony also fell into the list of disadvantages that had to be fought, so when the ECON is pressed the digital spidometer, it becomes active. If you only strok the gas pedal, then the TFT display is poured green, and it is worth crushing the pedal a little, as sectors on the sides of the speedometer are blue. Naturally, there is no need to talk about any dynamics in this mode, but if you need to reach refueling or meet the consumption declared by the manufacturer, the button will come in handy.

Otherwise, even the EXECTIVE equipment does not indulge in the new products of the Russian buyer adaptive cruise control to us yet. The same story with an automatic system for preventing accidents and turning off high light. The navigation, although built-in, is unlikely to overpay for a 2-din radio at least some sense, even if several microphones are used in its Hands Free system. But the subwoofer in the trunk is power.

Xenon shines well, the panoramic roof is also pleasing.

The main riding innovation is the softness of the suspension. The Japanese did not follow the path of installing limp shocksers and soft springs. On the contrary, they strengthened the body, made the levers of the pendants thicker, stronger and put the hydraulic bushings of the stabilizer from the flagship sedan Honda Legend! Of course, here you can argue about the economic feasibility of such a solution: nevertheless, this knot will cost significantly more than usual, and it will need to be changed with a certain frequency. But what an effect!

Especially the difference is noticeable on uneven roads, where the predecessor rode and jumped down from the trajectory. The truth of the Japanese is that even with a soft but correctly configured chassis, a car can drive faster and more confident even on bumps. The comfort of the passengers clearly increased, but the driver did not lose a high from driving. It is amazing how they managed to achieve this, without spoiling anything. Indeed, in the new Civic, everything is also a beam in the rear suspension, although two generations back there was a multi -link.

On the winding roads there is a slightly empty steering wheel, and there is still a light upbringing, but we will leave the sharp turns of the version of Type-R. This is his element. Civil Civic is adequate in corners, quite dynamic for the 1.8 I-VTEC motor, although it would not hurt a little more than the enthusiasm or more noticeable picking up after 4000 revolutions. This motor was a little modified (reduced friction losses, installed an economical generator and finalized injection), but the difference in a couple of forces is invisible to detect tangible changes.

But the gearbox is above all praise. Manual is clear, six -speed, with a short course of the curtains. Just a joystick! And as an alternative to Civic, fortunately, they will put an ordinary five -sized machine and no more ASIMO robots there. Honda Civic has two more engines 2.2 diesel I-DTEC 150 forces and 1.4 gasoline, but they will not be supplied to us.

Unfortunately, the Japanese are still darkening about the price. I would like to believe that by April 2012, when Civic reaches Russia, it will be kept at the same level, but according to unofficial information, it can increase by 10 percent. It turns out that at least 933 thousand (849 + 84 thousand) per car with a full set of airbags, climate and course stability system (VSA), and 1.065 million (969 + 96 thousand) for a top model with a machine gun, leather salon, xenonon, navigation and glass roof.

Needless to say, Opel Astra Cosmo and Ford Focus Titanium in the same top trim levels will be approximately 150-200 thousand cheaper, and Honda’s competition can be made up of VW Golf Highline with DSG. If you distract from a fixed set of options, then you can safely safely include representatives of other classes in the extensive list of competitors at a price list: BMW 1 series, a large Ford Mondeo sedan, Skoda Yeti crossover.


Meetings with the new Civic Russians have to wait less than six months

Probably, you should not wait for the new Civic to repeat the fate of the predecessor in Russia. Young people are now unlikely to pay him as much attention as the predecessor, especially in the absence of bright details of the finish. However, Honda does not count on particular popularity: all raspberries are spoiled by the growing yen. Their course, unlike Mazda or Toyota, does not chase the share of the market, but save profit. Therefore, even on the expensive civic, the queue will have to occupy a quota in advance in advance. Maybe the Japanese are better than Accord?




Alternative
Ford Focus - despite the significant difference in price, the focus plays in the same segment as Civic. With a two -liter engine comparable in power with the Japanese (150 forces), Focus costs from 707 rubles per version with mechanics. The top hatchback with a diesel and robot will cost 826 thousand rubles - noticeably cheaper than Honda Civic.

Mazda3 is a Japanese, which is sold in Russia at quite acceptable prices: from 699 thousand for a well -equipped version 1.6 with an automaton up to 895 thousand rubles for a top version with a 150 -horsepower 2.0 engine and an automatic transmission. But, if desired, the price of three can also be brought to a million.

VW Golf - the legislator of the genre in Russia costs from 632 thousand rubles in the database. With a turbo engine 1.4 (122 forces) and not the most minimum set of golf equipment, you can take for 700-760 thousand rubles, the top version with a diesel engine costs about 850 thousand, and having a little more than a million in hand, it is worth it to account for the 210-horsepower Golf GTI.

Nikita Kiselev
Photos of Honda

Source: Motor magazine [November 2011]