Made-in-UK 5-door Luxury Hatch
Honda has given the Civic range a new leader – the luxurious Si model five-door hatchback.
Priced at $38,990 (6-speed manual) and $41,290 (5-speed automatic) the Si Civic is a limited edition premium model with very high specification levels (including leather seats) and only 420 units have been sourced for local sales from Honda’s plant in Swindon, England (the same plant that supplies the sporty Type R Civic).
The five-door Si has a strong family resemblance to the Civic three-door - in fact the rear doors are disguised with ’concealed’ door handles and from a distance the Si still looks like a coupe.
The rear tailgate glass is split horizontally by a rear spoiler (just like the Type R) and overall Honda’s design team has done an excellent job in maintaining the wedge shape, ‘cab-forward’ look of the Civic and Type R despite the presence of the Si model’s extra doors.
Speaking of doors, with an eye on prime markets in Europe and Japan - where things are more crowded than here in Oz - Honda has supplied the Civic Si with doors that have three-stage openings (35 degrees, 52 degrees and 80 degrees) providing space between 660mm and 920mm. We can envisage that concept being very handy when trying to duck into a parked Civic Si in Pitt Street or Collins Street on a cold, rainy night in the midst of the peak hour bedlam.
Speaking of doors, with an eye on prime markets in Europe and Japan - where things are more crowded than here in Oz - Honda has supplied the Civic Si with doors that have three-stage openings (35 degrees, 52 degrees and 80 degrees) providing space between 660mm and 920mm. We can envisage that concept being very handy when trying to duck into a parked Civic Si in Pitt Street or Collins Street on a cold, rainy night in the midst of the peak hour bedlam.
The 50-litre fuel tank is centrally-mounted under the floor to provide a more space efficient and flatter load and passenger compartment. And a under-car cover runs from front to rear providing the Civic Si with a a smooth, flat bottom – that should mean better aerodynamic efficiency, reduced wind noise and lower fuel consumption.
Having regard to the luxury tones of the Civic Si, Honda worked hard to minimize NVH with developments such as a new exterior mirror profile, new, flat wiper blades and lightweight, more aerodynamic A, B and C pillars with increased sound-proofing materials.
Civic Si interiors presented an interesting cultural challenge for Honda’s engineers who originally conceived a new two-layer dashboard arrangement with white numerals on a blue background. Initial testing with European customers revealed the Japanese-sourced versions were too bright for European tastes so they we ‘turned-down’ by some 50 per cent before production commenced in England.
The rear seats fold flat with the same clever system used in the Honda Jazz and - thanks to that under-floor fuel tank – the luggage area and rear passenger footwell and noticeably flat.
The steering wheel adjusts for rake and reach however its angle is generally more upright in the mode normally associated with sports cars.
Dual-zone automatic air-conditioning, automatic headlights and wipers and rear parking sensors are all standard.
Under the bonnet is Honda’s 103kW/174Nm 1.8-litre i-VTEC engine which has been enhanced internally for improved throttle response and reduced fuel consumption and emissions.
Honda’s gearbox technicians have also been burning the midnight oil. Civic Si’s new 6-speed manual is actually smaller and lighter than the superseded 5-speed manual and the 5-speed auto is Honda’s first.
Safety is impressive and includes standard Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), ABS anti-lock brakes, front and side airbags plus side curtain airbags, retracting foot pedals and double pre-tensioners for the front seat belts.
The Civic Si scored a five-star rating in the February 2009 round of EuroNCAP barrier testing, but more importantly achieved the desired standards when submitted to Honda’s much more rigorous internal testing at the company’s R&D facilities in Tochigi, Japan.
With its luxury features, European quality and price premium, Honda expects most Australian buyers will be city-resident young professionals (male and female).The same group would probably shop Volkswagen Golf, Alfa 147, Audi A3 and BMW1 Series.
On sale now, the Honda Civic Si will be put through the Car Showroom test drive regime in coming weeks.
