Test Drive Honda Civic Sedan since 2012 Sedan

Civic times, civic two ...

The world debut of Civic on the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show turned out to be a spectacle unforgettable. I remember how the head of the concerns by the Guska stretched to the Honda stand, as if under the sounds of the magic flute. Like everyone, they fascinated, fascinated by an unusually brave and stylistic design of the new, eighth-generation model. It was a real breakthrough, which proved (and proves) the market. In Russia (and not only in Russia) the queue on the hatchback stretched for six months. English Plant Honda, where the model is produced, does not have time to cope with orders. To fully understand the phenomenon of the model, and at the same time determine how convenient and beneficial to these cars in everyday use, the edition of the month has got two Civic 5-door hatchback at once and hot Type R.
Means from aging
It was Civic No. 8 that became the mixture that allowed the consumer audience almost instantly to rejuvenate. After all, by the time of the appearance of the space version of the model, the average age of its acquirers came close to fifty. Not rainbow, as we understand with you, a picture for any manufacturer. Therefore, designers and designers decided on a revolutionary step, and created something special in the style of Hi-Tech for generation Next. Of course, I exaggerate, the car is not deprived of the grace and is capable of changing people of any age. Nevertheless, the effect of rejuvenation is obvious.
The fighting front part with the chandelier headlights, triangular fog bobbits and exhaust pipes, rounded body civic rushing forward to the future. And this is another normal 5-door hatchback. Type R is, in addition, a real adrenaline vessel. The hot version is offered exclusively in the 3-door body. It is wider than the feather 15 mm, although the wheelbase is the same. Add to this body color bumpers, original aerodynamic body kit, spoilers, 18-inch discs, and you will get a word, you see it in the pictures, it is red.
Form and content
The driver seems to get into the control zone clearly separated from the rest of the cabin, for the ergonomics of which there are practically no complaints. The seats have a developed side support, a small ram in diameter is adjustable both in altitude and by departure, and the masterful element of the duplex instrument panel is a large round tachometer. According to his sides, the fuel level pointers and the temperature of the power unit, but the speedometer is digital, it is in the upper tier. If in the usual Civic dominant color blue, then in Type R red.
Yes, and the seat in Type R really resembles a racing bucket. This is not just a RECARO with developed sidewalls, this is the Type R native chairs that keep the body firmly and entirely. Moreover, in the back there are already ready-made slits for sports belts, and only the relative softness of the upholstery reminds that you are inside a car suitable for use on public roads. About the tachometer with a red range of 8000 9000 rpm, about special inscriptions and Type R nameplates I am no longer saying.
Natchadshnik 6-speed mechanics, like overlays on pedals, from cold metal. The sportiness decoration does not prevent, however, practicality, in this regard, both Civic deserve praise. There is a lot of space for smallers, and in the back seat is quite spacious. Plus a spacious luggage compartment with a volume of 485 liters, in which I most liked the two-level floor. Naturally, the backs of the rear seats can be folded by increasing the space for the cargo to 1352 liters. True, the shape of the trunk lid limits the picture in the rearview mirror, and the dirt on our roads quickly reduces the review almost to zero of the janitor on the rear window. On the other hand, behind the wheel of Civic it is better to watch forward and on the sides.
Solid provocation
While most manufacturers of machines of this class make a bet on turbocharging, Honda successfully spins atmospheric gasoline engines. Of course, this somewhat limits the possibilities for the subsequent tuning, and in terms of the power of Type R is inferior to some competitors. But the 4-cylinder 2.0-liter gasoline engine can still be recognized by one of the masterpieces of Motor Building. After all, with a rather modest volume, it develops 201 hp, which is 4 hp More than the former generation of Type R. The flywheel was replaced in the motor, put over injections, intake and release, which gave rise. Representatives of Honda argue that the main efforts of engineers were aimed at making the engine as much more responsive to work the accelerator pedal. And this task, I can confirm, solved with them brilliantly.
 
The car reacts so sensitively to the actions of the driver, which is experiencing a real delight. Of course, you get the greatest pleasure after the tachometer arrow passes the mark of 5000 rpm. At this point, the salon is filled with aggressive, almost formular sound of an amazingly quickly spinning motor. And after 7000 rpm, another tide is secured! I want to unscrew the engine to the red zone at any opportunity, to even once again enjoy his sound and power.
Make the engine to operate in high revolutions is not difficult to transmit a 6-speed MCP approximate to the limit, switch quickly and clearly, with a barely noticeable metal CCC. You can disrupt the front driving wheels in the slip, not only on the first, but also on the second, as well as on the third stage. And the ram at the same time does not dance from side aside, as it happens, but simply informs the driver about what is happening with the front wheels. At the same time, the steering is very sharp. From the edge to the edge of only 2.29 turns that it is impossible to better match the character of Type R.
Naturally, such a dynamic car has an excellent brake system, which even after several sharp slowsters retains its tensile. It is necessary to say that the pedal effort is intuitive, and the system of distribution of brake forces and ABS allows you to confidently feel almost on any coverage. Although Type R is still quite demanding to the driver. There is a VSC stabilization system, but it fully allows certain liberties, and still personally I immediately wanted to disable it.
Yes, the clearance as a result of the installation of new springs and shock absorbers decreased by 15 mm, and on our roads, even with a non-sustain move, shakes mercilessly. But from Type R another and you are not waiting. After all, it is these settings that give the car with excellent handling, I would say one of the best in the classroom. And because he once after reading in one job with a comparative test drive of three hot hatchbacks, including Type R, I even upset. Outsider in the following chassis?! Well, I do not! I rode on all the relatives mentioned competitors (more powerful, by the way), and I can not agree with this. And now that they write (quote): in the turn of Civic Type R immediately begins to slide the muzzle outwards. Natural nonsense! I can only assume that the reason for the incorrect output was that an extremely sensitive accelerator pedal and the responsive Type R motor quickly break the front leading wheels in the slip. If, turning the steering wheel, press the gas and in fact the demolition of the front axle will begin, the other front-wheel drive car will behave exactly. And given the fact that we are talking about the moment in 193 nm, everything happens quickly, which I believe, and it was said about the boring, obviously insufficient turning. What is wrong.
In fact, Type R has chas of a truly sports car that requires relevant driving skills. Example: In the final braking phase before entering the turn, turn the steering wheel and get the rear axis drift. Immediately release the brake pedal, and somewhere on an apex rotation smoothly add the Gat's skidding redeems, and you spectacle pass the turn. This is the whole charm of Type R settings, and a simple Civic.
The civil version of the model has a modest 1.8-liter engine, outstanding, however, 140 forces. Therefore, the acceleration is confident, and the branded system of changing phases of gas distribution provides good pickups in almost the entire revolutions. Although, for more rear, it is better to stay on the version with a manual transmission. A modification with a semi-automatic I-SHIFT is somewhat thoughtful, and when moving from one stage to another, especially at high engine speeds, a fair failure and a jerk are observed. It is possible to smooth it, only imitating the accelerator pressing the clutch, or switching manually pushing lever KP or using stealing petals. On the other hand, with a measured ride with jerks, it is possible to compete as a fee for the opportunity not to bother the work of the clutch pedal in traffic jams.
In general, the 5-door Civic is noticeably more comfortable. Yes, and the steering is just as sharp, which is why sports mood is formed in this car.
Civic in numbers
From the tables you can see how much the ownership of the Honda Civic model and its charged modification of Type R. Comments, I think not required. So it remains to say only about prices. The 5-door hatchback will cost at least 658 thousand rubles, with I-SHIFT in 734,000. Type R is significantly more expensive than 964,000 rubles, but also the standard equipment includes almost everything you need.

 
Andrei Osipov
Photo by the author

 

A source: Magazine Automotive News [February 2008]