Honda Civic NT 2016 new car review
We started building the 1972 Honda Civic model locally in 1976. What's changed in 20 years?
We started building the 1972 Honda Civic model locally in 1976. What's changed in 20 years?
We’ve come a long way. Our review Civic is over a metre longer at 4.64m, almost twice as heavy at around 1327kg, and over 30cm wider at 180cm wide. Humans haven’t got bigger, but the required crumple zones to achieve the now-mandatory 5-star crash test rating have.
Inside and out
We now have a Civic that is properly sleek. Look at it from the side and you’ll notice that the taillights create the illusion of a little ducktail spoiler flicking air off the boot. The flanks feature two almost parallel creases that lean forward like it’s ready to pounce.
At the front, there’s a strong chrome bar that joins the headlights. It’s very pleasing and Honda will attract a younger buyer. It is sporty and forward-thinking, without overdoing it. Drop into the leather seat of this top-of-the-line NT version and everything is much tidier than before.
Gone is the dual instrument layout and slapdash button placement. The cabin quality seems much improved and there’s a 7-inch screen that displays the reversing camera, wing mirror camera, satellite navigation and infotainment system. There’s an HDMI input (I can’t think why), and it supports Apple Carplay and Android Audio for you to connect your phone directly. If you do this you can use your phone’s navigation which is better than the built-in navigation.
Being the NT, you get just about every advanced safety feature Honda has access to. Adaptive cruise control and low-speed follow are semi-autonomous features that stop you from running into the back of the car in front. There’s also Lane Keep Assist System, Collision Mitigation Braking System, Forward Collision Warning, Road Departure Mitigation, Lane Departure Warning and Straight Driving Assist.
The Civic NT is the precursor to some obviously more intensive autonomous driving technology that Honda will undoubtedly chuck into the mix in the next couple of years.
There’s a lot of space in the front and you really feel you sink into the car, perhaps a little too much. The additional length gives it a huge boot for its segment (519 litres) and plenty of legroom in the back.
On the road
The Civic NT comes with 17-inch alloy wheels sporting 215/50R17 tyres. The ride is smooth and unflustered, but with quite a lot of dynamic ability. The steering is light but precise and there’s very little wind noise. The engine produces 127kW at 5500rpm, but it doesn’t feel like it.
Perhaps the Civic’s on-road manners and its willingness to switch directions with ease could easily handle another 20kW which would make it a lot more fun. Or maybe just get rid of the CVT gearbox. Honda quotes 6l/100km fuel economy.
An intimidating amount of features in a sleek package is what the Civic offers, but it’s not perfect. The touchscreen interface is a little slow and cumbersome at times; over-reliance on touchscreens, especially for features such as the air conditioning fan, just makes things dangerous as you have to take your eyes off the road.
The forward collision system is also particularly keen to remind you it’s there, even if you are stationary and another person is turning out of a road on the opposite side.
The camera on the wing mirror is a gimmick that is likely to be an expensive repair if you knock it. Finally, as mentioned above, no one likes a CVT mated to an engine that really wants just a tiny bit more power.
Overall
$42,900 puts the Civic up into a price bracket you perhaps wouldn’t expect but you do get a lot of features for your money. In some senses this feels like the Accord Euro NT – things just trickle down so that the lesser models are eventually much better than previous versions of premium models.
The Civic NT and its ilk are blazing a path to luxury at the lower end of the market, and it will certainly be a wakeup call to almost all the other manufacturers that play in this segment.
Price: $42,900
Note: this was reviewed as a new vehicle.
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