Honda CIVIC 3-DOOR RANGE
The 3-Door Civic Arrived A Little After Its 5-Door Partner But It Wasted No Time In Seducing UK Buyers. Now A 2004 Model Year Facelift Has Raised Its Game Even Further. Andy Enright Reports
The latest
Honda Civic has been accorded more plaudits than any hatchback has any right to receive. In its original form, with a quintet of doors, it was good, but did the family-hatch merely serve as a prelude to the more exciting three-door range? Anything with a Honda logo on the nose means serious engineering insight, legendary handling and genuine usable practicality. Will the stream of awards translate into sales success for the three-door model?
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You know the drill with three door hatchbacks. Less money for less practicality at the bottom of the range, more money for more glamour at the top. Is the
Honda Civic range any different? Yes and no. The range opens with the £10,125 Civic 1.
4i S, comfortably undercutting the equivalent five-door version by £1,000. At the other end of the range, the crazy Type-R sporting variant retails at £16,380 itself no petty consideration for a three-door hatch. Before you write this off as an inordinate amount of money to spend on a Honda Civic, consider this.
"Even the base 1.4i Civic three-door is a hoot to drive"
When it was first shown to the public, a price of £21,000 was mooted for the Type-R. Those in the know considered this a reasonable amount to pay. Heres why. To say that the Civic Type-R is modified is akin to noting that Imelda Marcos wasnt short of footwear choices.
Pride of place goes to the 2.0-litre engine, equipped with double overhead cams and intelligent VTEC, Hondas stepless valve control system, combining to generate 200PS, which in terms of good old bhp is a scarcely believable 197bhp. No, it doesnt quite approach the otherworldliness of the original Honda S2000 roadsters 237bhp from a 2.0-litre engine, but for a hot hatch its decidedly manic, especially when you consider that its attained without the aid of a turbocharger.
The Type-R, like the other Civics, was recently updated. A lighter flywheel and clutch assembly were added. With reduced inertia to battle, the Type-R can now notch off the sprint to 60mph in a startling 6.4 seconds .
A unique Type-R grille, blue projector lights, improved NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) tuning and door mounted indicators were also fitted. All the three-door versions got a mesh grille to underline their sporting credentials while the Sport model adopts a Type-R style front spoiler, colour coded front grille, three-light projector headlights, revised tail lights, side sills and 16-inch alloys with chunky 205/55 R16 tyres. The problem with the Type-R model is the long shadow it casts across the rest of the Civic range. At that bargain price, it makes paying £13,725 for a Civic 1.
6i VTEC Sport look an act of the grossest folly. This is something of a shame, as the 108bhp Sport is a perfectly agreeable car that just happens to be within £2,500 of something that nudges greatness. So it is that as you proceed down the range, the value proposition starts to look a little less skewed. The mechanically similar £12,225 1.
6i VTEC SE looks reasonable value, and the £10,125 1.4i S could be the pick of the range, Type-R excepted. The CTDi diesel is something of a departure for Honda, but the
Isuzu-derived 1.7-litre powerplant certainly makes all the right noises.
Hitting sixty in a mere 11 seconds and good for over 57mpg, this 100bhp diesel may pave the way for Honda to start creating ever more outlandish oil-burners. The three-door versions looks take a little getting used to. Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition; least not the Civic with its surprised face and rack-stretched dimensions. After a while the unconventional looks grow on you, forming the distinct impression that the five-door model got the rough end of the stylists pencil.
Whilst sharing the same width across the floor pan as the five-door, the three-door range is in fact 145mm shorter and 60mm lower. A 20kg weight saving translates into marginal performance advantages for the three-door cars, the 1.6-litre variants are capable of hitting 60mph in 10 seconds before running out of go at 116mph.The 89bhp 1.
4-litre model manages to crack 60mph in 11.8 seconds and boasts a terminal velocity of 110mph. The sports bias is reflected in the nomenclature associated with the three-door range. Whereas the five-door models are treated to a range structure that goes E, SE, Executive and Type-S, the three-door cars run to E, SE, Sport and Type-R, the Sport model ditching the Executives leather lined easy chairs for a full leather and Alcantara mix for added support.
Like the Civic 5-door range, this model is being built at the companys Swindon plant and from the inside boasts a shrunken-People Carrier feel somewhat at odds with its sporty aspirations. The dashboard-mounted gearlever frees up floorspace and gives an airy feel, helped in no small part by the enormous, steeply raked windscreen and generous headroom. Unlike any MPV weve ever driven, even the base 1.4i Civic three-door is a hoot to drive, the engine encouraging exploration of the lofty handling capabilities.
Standard trim across the range is class competitive, and includes ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist, twin front airbags, sport seats, rear spoiler, power steering and the usual electric front windows, mirrors and plip central locking. The SE trim level additionally entitles you to an air-conditioning, alloy wheels, body-coloured exterior mirrors with integral indicators and a rear wiper whilst the Sport goes Type-R-lite in adding bigger alloy wheels, swankier air conditioning, a better stereo, that leather and Alcantara interior and a more thorough approach taken to painting the exterior addenda the same colour as the rest of the car. The Honda Civic three-door scores well in most categories you could imagine, with the CTDi diesel now offering a viable option for those with an aversion to filling stations. To all intents and purposes the Civic three-door is a concessions-price ticket to one of the hottest shows in town.
Honda has hit the bullseye Civic centre
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Honda Civic three-door range
PRICES: £10,125-£16,380 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 4-17
CO2 EMISSIONS: 134-212g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.4] 0-60mph 11.8s / Max Speed 110mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.4] (urban) 34.0mpg/ (extra urban) 52.3mpg/ (combined) 44.1mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/heightmm 4140/1695/1435mm
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