Honda Civic 2022 Review: Glow Up Season
Honda Civic 2022 is here, ushering in the 11th generation of the Civic, which, from a certain distance and with some squinting, might nearly be mistaken for an Accord. The 2017 Civic has updated body aesthetics, interior design, and driver assistance and infotainment systems. We finally got our hands on one this week, and we got to drive it. Continue reading to learn more about what the new Honda Civic has to offer.
The new bits Honda Civic 2022
The new 11th generation Civic has been totally redesigned, with a new plaid design and inside bits and parts. The Civic is offered in four different packages, with two different engine options: a 2L in the base model and a 1.5L turbocharged in the higher trim levels.
Our test mule was an EX package with the 1.5L engine, which is ironically the only version available in Bangladesh (along with the EX touring package, of course), as the base model comes with a 2L, which has less power than the turbo and, due to our taxation system, which is solely based on engine capacity, the base model will end up costing more than the top of the line Civic available.
Another item to keep in mind is that the Civic sedan does not come with a manual transmission; instead, it comes standard with a CVT; however, if a manual transmission is absolutely necessary, the SI version is available.
Exterior; a new generation
The exterior of the 11th generation Civic receives a dramatic design change that, in retrospect, removes the drama that was present in the previous, introducing us to a new simpler, mature design language with easy to read straight body lines that end on the LED headlights with running DRLs, where LEDs are a standard option throughout the entire lineup, even when it comes to the taillights.
Interior and infotainment
When you arrive inside the Civic, you’ll see that everything is in its proper place, and because the car is aimed at heavy commuters in general, Honda didn’t overcomplicate the knobs and controls that the driver and passengers will deal with.
Expect adequate materials throughout the inside, but because this is a Civic and not an Accord, don’t expect genuine leather on the seats or wood trim pieces. The Civic’s seats are large and, despite being made of fabric, they are heated. They are also manually operated, which is a bit of a letdown, but they do the job nicely.
The clear cost-cutting done by Honda distinguishes the Civic from the larger Accord. For example, the Piano black Trim elements on our test car’s front doors had a light bar running through them, but the rear doors did not, but that’s just me being picky. The back seats, on the other hand, are fantastic for a commuter. They are spacious and comfy, with enough legroom for you to spread your legs without touching the front seat. When folded up, there’s also an armrest with cup holders in the centre that doubles as an extra seat.
Another innovation of the new Civic that I would like to see implemented in other cars is the ability to fold the seats directly from the car’s boot, which is a foolproof function that adds to convenience.
The infotainment system, on the other hand, has a lot to offer while being simple; this is another another effort by Honda to keep things simple for the customer. It comes with a 7" screen as normal, however it may be upgraded to a 9" screen, which is commonly included in the LX package. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also included as standard features, which is always a plus. For the first time in a Civic, the sound is given through a pair of Bose speakers, where the mids are well emphasized, making the sound clear, but it lacks a bit in the low end; the bass could be a little more fulfilling, but in the end, the mids make a decent cut.
Driving the Civic
When you press the start button and start driving the car, one of the first things you notice is how visible everything is on the road and how open the atmosphere seems, thanks to the sunroof, which allows a lot of light to enter the cabin, which is always appreciated. The suspension on the Civic is brilliantly tuned, and it easily absorbs little bumps when driving. When taking corners, the steering feels athletic and there is substantial input. The 1.5L turbo has excellent throttle response, and the 180 horsepower and 240 Nm torque are more than plenty for a commuter.
What intrigued Ahbaar Milky (in his own words) the most was how hard the CVT, when in sport mode, actually tried and successfully pretended to simulate ‘gear shifts’ akin to a DCT, albeit a sluggish one at that. Flick the drive mode selector downwards once and the digital cluster greets you with a dash of red, unlocking the joys of rowing through five simulated gears through the flappy paddles, which are ergonomically positioned just where your index fingers would grip the wheel when the hands are at 9 and 3. The paddles are tactile enough, having the same resistance and feel as the R1 and L1 buttons of a PlayStation controller, or a keyboard.
Expect horrible economy on sport mode, obviously, as the CVT forces the engine to work overtime with instant throttle response if you’re lead-footed. On the contrary, Normal and Economy modes do a solid job of keeping the drive experience seamless for hypermiling.
Verdict
The new Civic is a great ‘people’s car’ and it’s the smallest details that make it just a bit more desirable all around. Driving the car does not feel like a chore and honestly, the whole package just makes sense. Although the E-Parking brake is the only thing that people could find annoying as it’s small and the existence can easily slip off the dome (it happened twice with us).
Coupled with the fantastic dampening on bumpy Dhaka roads, and the no-nonsense yet bang up to date interior, the new civic is already leagues ahead of the previous generation in our book. We just wish the wireless Apple CarPlay would work without any glitches on our test vehicle. There’s a wireless charging pad though which worked with no hiccups.
Source: The Daily Star
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