Honda Civic

The 2006 Civic is a new, eighth-generation model with a new platform, new engines and new styling.
The differences between some of the new, eighth-generation Honda cars seem so noticeable, consumers might wonder why Honda didn't put a different name on each one.

The performance-oriented 2006 Civic Si coupe, for example, can feel taut—almost edgy—in its handling, and it's the first Civic with nearly 200 horsepower. The 2006 Honda Civic sedan has a more mainstream ride and has different styling from a Civic coupe at the rear. The 2006 Civic Hybrid provides a new sensation from its predecessor because it now has electric-only power in certain modes.

Yet the lot of them—gasoline-powered sedan, coupe, sporty Si and gasoline-electric hybrid—are all-new Civics. The name, which dates to 1973 in the United States, is much too valuable—too well-known to American consumers—to be frittered away. Indeed, Honda figures that if Civic was a car brand all its own, the annual 300,000 sales would make it the 13th best-selling "brand" in the United States, ahead of Mazda, Kia, Mercury, Cadillac and others.

30-Plus Year History
The 2006 models are the eighth generation of Honda's small car that started life in the States as a little, lightweight, fuel-efficient hatchback. Over time Civics grew bigger and earned a reputation for durability, not to mention affordability. As a result, many consumers came to think of the Civic as a smart buy.

But there was a problem: Civics weren't always described as handsome, upscale or sporty.

Look for this to change with the 2006 models. The new exterior styling is sporty, crisper and richer than ever, even on the Civic sedan. Officials said some of this is due to how tiny the gaps are between the pieces of exterior sheet metal. The smaller these gaps seem to be, the more the unconscious mind views a vehicle as a quality model, one automotive executive—not from Honda—once told me.

Also contributing to a quality, upscale sense is the precise fit of the wheels and tires inside the Civic wheel openings. This is something that BMW officials had perfected in recent years to give their cars a purposeful, attractive stance. Guess what? A Honda official told me the Civic was benchmarked against the previous-generation, pre-2006 BMW 3-Series. No wonder those tire-to-wheel openings are so well done on the new Civic.

Inside any one of the Civic cars, drivers sit behind a new, two-tier instrument panel. Call it a pseudo head-up display (HUD). It doesn't project information onto the windshield glass as a real HUD would. But the proximity to the windshield of the three or so information items up in this top tier of gauges conveys a sensation of HUD, nonetheless. Among the usual information items up there is a digital readout of the vehicle's speed, plus fuel tank gauge and engine temperature gauge. A tachometer and odometer, among other things, are in a more traditionally positioned display at the base of the steering wheel. Honda officials said arranging pertinent information high up helps keep a driver's eyes from straying far from the road. The system also mimics a HUD, which a Honda official noted was expected to become a more prevalent feature on BMWs.

Other improvements inside the Civic include more supportive, wider, front seats, thanks to a slightly wider body on the new car, plus active head restraints for the first time to help minimize whiplash injuries in a rear collision. Side-curtain airbags also are standard on all Civics for the first time. All Civics have seating for five.

Occupants will quickly notice the steeply raked windshield and deep dashboard on the new Civics. This contributes to a sense of spaciousness inside, although the pillars at each side of the windshield are a bit thick at their bases and can obscure side views, particularly at intersections.

An interesting change is the Civic steering wheel. It is small-sized—about the diameter of the one on Honda's racy S2000 roadster. Combined with new, responsive steering and the two-tiered gauge arrangement, a driver at the wheel can feel a bit like he or she operating a video game. Non-video-game players, take note. The initial sensation can feel strange.

Upgraded Ride
The Civic's new platform includes a longer wheelbase and a wider track than the previous Civic had. But most consumers aren't likely to visually notice the new dimensions.

Tires and wheels are larger than before, ranging from 15-inchers on the Civic Hybrid and base sedan and coupe to 17-inchers on the sporty Civic Si. All Civics come with a new anti-lock brake system with Electronic Brake Distribution, but some models still have rear drum brakes, not four-wheel discs.

Other updates include new geometry on the Civic's MacPherson strut front suspension and new-design multi-link double wishbone rear suspension.

There is no all-wheel-drive version of Civic.

Naturally Aspirated 4-Cylinder Engines Only
Honda is the world's largest engine producer, and it continues to eschew turbocharged or supercharged engines for its Civic line, although some competitors, such as the Chevrolet Cobalt and Volkswagen Jetta, offer the 'charged powerplants that can provide zippy get-up-and-go.

Honda prefers to continue to upgrade its use of VTEC, its variable valve technology that is typically tuned to improve responsiveness along a wide rpm range and maximize fuel economy.

Thus the base engine for Civic is a 1.8-liter single overhead cam 4 cylinder with a new generation of i -VTEC. Horsepower is 140, up 10 to 21 percent from the 2005 Civic engines, while maximum torque now is 128 lb-ft at 4300 rpm, up 12 to 16 percent from the predecessor Civics.

Best of all, Civics with this base engine and fitted with a first-ever 5-speed automatic transmission have an estimated fuel economy rating of 30 miles per gallon in city driving and 40 mpg on the highway. The previous best fuel economy rating for a Civic with an automatic transmission was 31/38 mpg for a 2005 model. A 5-speed manual also is available on 2006 Civics, except for the Civic Si, which comes only with a 6-speed manual and no automatic.

The Civic Si's 2.0-liter double overhead cam 4 cylinder with i -VTEC is the most powerful ever for Civic. It generates 197 horses, up 23 percent from the 2005 Civic Si. Torque peaks at 139 lb-ft at 6200 rpm, which is up only 5 percent from its predecessor.

But the fuel economy rating is estimated at 22/31 mpg, showing that the more-powerful new model saps some of the fuel compared with the 26/31 mpg of the previous Si.

Hybrid Improvements
The Civic Hybrid was the first mainstream vehicle to be turned into a gas-electric hybrid, where an electric motor supplements an internal combustion engine. (Toyota's Prius and Honda's Insight hybrids, which preceded the Civic Hybrid, are purpose-built hybrid vehicles, meaning they aren't available with traditional powerplants.)

But it appears the Honda Civic was on the right track. Other hybrid models, such as the Ford Escape Hybrid, Mercury Mariner Hybrid and Lexus RX 400h, that have followed also are versions of traditional models.

For 2006 the Civic Hybrid has a higher fuel economy rating of 50/50 mpg. It also wears a more stylish body, just like all the other Civics. But the hybrid is easy to pick out from the other versions. It's the only one with a stubby, black radio antenna on the roof. Honda officials explained they installed it there to avoid electrical interference with the hybrid's electric power system. The Civic Hybrid also is the only Civic sedan with a standard small spoiler on the trunk, designed to improve aerodynamics.

The hybrid sedan is at least 100 pounds heavier than any other Civic, thanks mostly to its hefty nickel-metal hydride battery pack required to store electrical power during travel. The Civic Hybrid also has additional parts underneath the engine and floor to provide better aerodynamics.

Other differences between the Civic Hybrid and a traditional Civic sedan include a continuously variable transmission that's the sole tranny on the hybrid, and a 10.4-cubic-foot trunk in the hybrid that's smaller than the trunk in a regular Civic sedan. It turns out 1.6 cubic feet is needed for the hybrid power control unit sitting behind the rear seat.

The most notable difference, though, is the power system that Honda calls Integrated Motor Assist, or IMA. Honda pairs a 1.3-liter single overhead cam i -VTEC 4 cylinder with an electric motor to produce 110 horsepower, an increase of 23 percent from the predecessor Civic Hybrid. Maximum torque is 123 lb-ft at a low 2500 rpm.

Honda engineers changed the Civic Hybrid power system for 2006, so the car can cruise solely on electric power in some conditions. This is the same thing that the Toyota Prius, Ford Escape Hybrid, Mercury Mariner Hybrid and Lexus RX 400h can do, and it's viewed as an emission-reducing and fuel-saving mode.

Compact Sales Expected to Decline
An odd thing about the Civic: it debuts in the U.S. market as a new-generation car even while Honda officials expect the compact car segment where the Civic competes to decline in the United States over the next several years.

Specifically, sales of compact cars are expected to fall 11 percent, according to Jon Mendel, senior vice president of auto operations at American Honda Motor Co. Inc. He added that Honda officials optimistically believe Honda will take sales away from other competing models and not experience the full 11 percent decline.

After all, for several years now, the Civic has ranked as America's best-selling small car, and there's nothing in the new model that looks to change that status.