When Linkin Park released their last album, One More Light, they received heavy criticism for straying from "their roots". They were labelled sell-outs and accused of betraying their fan base. The sound was softer, less edgy and more in line with the mainstream take on what rock and roll is about.
We see this often in the motoring sphere as well. A brand will create a string of cars that sells well, resonates with a certain type of individual and stirs emotions. Honda is one such company that has seemingly done exactly this, changed along the way and strayed from their exciting, emotive offerings - or have they?
The Honda Civic is a solid argument for this accusation though with pundits recalling the days of the EK Civic and the impact that VTEC had on the performance world. The fact is that the EK Civic was the sixth generation of the model and aside from the high-performance versions, Honda has stayed true to the recipe.
The tenth-generation Honda Civic offers the sensible and enthusiast alike options to appease their needs and desires. The FK8 Civic Type-R is the fire-breathing track weapon while the Civic Sedan plays into the hands of those that want the reliability and ease of use associated with the Honda nameplate.
Released in 2015, the current Honda Civic Sedan marries attractive styling with a choice of two very agreeable engines. The engineers at Honda updated the model in 2019, fine-tuning the styling and spending a little more time working on the refinement.
Related: Honda Civic 1.5T Executive - Video review
Styling
The styling changes are minimal with the update but the front end has received the customary facelift with a new grille and bumper serving up front. The front air dam has been widened and now runs the entire width of the bumper while the grill no longer drops quite as low as before.
On the Sport model, such as the one on test, the chrome is replaced with piano black for sporty, purposeful visage. You're still going to get attractive headlights with DRL elements across the range.
The rear retains the boomerang taillight arrangement but a new chrome element can now be found in the lower section of the bumper. It adds an air of class to proceedings and increases the perception of width.
Drive
Fans of the manual gearbox will undoubtedly drop to their knees at the news that the Civic Sedan is only available with a CVT automatic gearbox. Often criticised for being the least effective way of transferring power and having a propensity to drone, the CVT gearbox allows for seamless transferring of power without steps or jerkiness.
The good news is that if you're going to go for a vehicle with a CVT gearbox, you can do a lot worse than a Honda. The propensity to whine is only present when wringing out the engine to the redline but everywhere else it's an absolute charm. I was taken by the immediacy of the throttle response, especially when one considers that you've mixed a turbocharged engine with a CVT gearbox. It genuinely was pleasant and reminded me of the high-strung nature of Honda's earlier Civic offerings.
Performance
Powering the Civic Sedan Sport is a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine that produces 127 kW and 220 Nm torque. Honda claims that this is good for a 0 - 100 km/h sprint time of 8.3-seconds, which is undoubtedly as a result of the CVT gearbox hampering proceedings. The catch is, the Civic Sport feels a lot quicker than the number suggest and I put this down to the broad torque band presented by the tech employed.
From as low as 1700 RPM, you have the full 220 Nm at your disposal and it only starts to drop off after 5500 RPM. This means that when cruising along, a simple prod of the throttle sees you zooming off to your next destination. The blend of CVT and broad torque band allows the engine to stay in the peak range and it makes the Civic an absolute joy to drive.
Space and Comfort
Despite the sombre tone in the cabin, the Civic Sedan still feels as spacious as any C-segment sedan with generous head and shoulder room. Rear seat passengers have a fair amount of rear legroom and the Civic Sedan will comfortably host 4 adults for long journeys. The boot measures in at a respectable 424-litres and while not as deep as one would expect, provides ample width for ease of loading.
One of the areas that the engineers addressed was the NVH levels in the cabin. For this update, they've redesigned the sound deadening and as a result, you're treated to a well-insulated and quiet cabin, devoid of any unnecessary intrusion from both road and mechanical noise.
Safety
The Civic Sedan is fitted with a range of standard safety equipment across the range with the Executive model getting a little more in the way of driver assistance systems. Our Sport model still came with 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, and a Vehicle Stability System with Hill Start Assist.
The Civic Sedan scores a 4-star Euro NCAP rating with a 92% score for adult protection and losing out a little with a 67% score for child protection. ISOFIX mountings are present at the outer rear seats for safe securing of an approved child seat or booster seat.
Fuel Consumption
Honda presents a claimed combined fuel consumption of 5.9 l/100km and with our lockdown restrictions, we were rather limited in the amount of highway driving we were able to subject the test car too. That said, we managed an average of 7.6 l/100km with primarily urban commuting.
Price
One of the best bits about buying a Honda is that you're never caught in the trap that is options lists. What you see is what you get, no hidden costs for features that you want. If you want a little more from your Civic, you go for the Executive model, it's a simple as that.
This means that a Honda Civic Sedan 1.5T Sport will set you back R 513 300 and all that you're left to decide is what colour you want.
Verdict
The Honda Civic Sedan is a more than pleasant addition to the garage, it will serve as a daily commuter, a holiday cruiser and even that fun drive that you take out on weekends. Yes a Type-R will set your hair on fire but the Sedan, in Sport trim, does an admirable job of it all.
When comparing it to its peers, one has to look at the likes of the Mazda3 sedan, Audi A3 sedan (but watch that options list) and the left-field Subaru Impreza option. It's a difficult call to make but if you liked their earlier albums, give this one a try, I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised to find that the old band is still there.
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