Honda CIVIC TYPE-S
Buyers Of Five Door Family Hatches Who Want A Little Excitement Are Used To Being Short Changed.
Honda Aim To Change All That With Their Civic Type-S. Andy Enright Reports
The general rule with family hatchbacks is that if you want something thats exciting to drive, you either opt for a three-door version or go without. There are exceptions, but most manufacturers have been unable to get their head around the concept that some buyers want performance and practicality in one convenient package. The £15,730 Honda Civic Type-S addresses that need, offering an understated hatch that has a lot of pluses and very little in the debit column.
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Of course, if youre interested in ultimate performance from your Civic, nothing but the three-door 197bhp Type-R will do. For those with a family to cart about, the thrills and bills of Type-R motoring will soon pall when the guilt of watching your significant other having to get out and stand in the rain when you pick the kids up begins to kick in. Family life may rub the edges off youthful selfishness but it neednt be a slippery slope to pipe and slippersville, as the Civic Type-S demonstrates.
"The Civic Type-S allows you to make rapid progress without drawing unwelcome attention."
With 160bhp under its stubby bonnet, this is a car that doesnt hang about, reaching 60mph in a shade over 8 seconds and capable of a top speed of 130mph. The power delivery is less manic than the Type-R, the five-door car using a two-litre i-VTEC engine similar to that powering the CRV 4x4 but which has been modified to suit the lighter Civic body and mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. An average fuel consumption figure that nudges nearly 38mpg is anything but average in such a powerful car whilst CO2 emissions of 179g/km are equally impressive for a hot hatch. The Type-S, along with all the 3 and 5-door Civics, was revised recently with a collection of styling touches and some more important changes under the skin.
Theres now a three-bar grille as well as a revised tailgate and rear bumper ensemble. A tailgate spoiler was added and the tail lights were also been revised. Extensive fine-tuning of the suspension and the power steering systems give all Civics much crisper handling and better steering feel. The revised variable ratio steering rack and recalibrated spring, damper and anti roll bar settings are specifically tuned for three and five-door models as well as the Sport, Type S and Type-R variants so your Type-S should deliver optimum handling performance.
Although the exterior effects are downplayed, buyers do get a mesh grille, 16-inch alloy wheels, a small rear hatch spoiler and discreet side rubbing strips. Aside from that only the front fog lamps, mudflaps and Type-S badging give the game away. As an inconspicuous Q-car, the Civic Type-S allows you to make rapid progress without drawing unwelcome attention. Its handling capabilities have been boosted by the addition of Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA),which includes traction control and cruise control.
Inside, the Type-S features climate controlled air conditioning, black half leather trim, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, gearknob and gaiter plus the obligatory white dials. Chrome highlights on the vents and a matt silver dash centre panel brighten things up a little and there are dashes of chrome applied to the gearshift surround and the handbrake.
Honda have taken an interesting tack in setting up the ride and handling balance of the Type-S. As with all Civics, this variant uses gas-filled dampers front and rear, but in this instance it combats body roll with a chunkier rear anti-roll bar.
In keeping with the cars philosophy of offering high performance without constantly reminding all and sundry of the fact, the Type-S actually wears higher profile tyres than most of its siblings, increasing ride comfort. Extra noise suppression material means this Civic is a very refined companion. The larger diameter tyres and a combination of engine torque characteristics and gearing ensure that at 70mph the Type-S is just rumbling along at just 3,200rpm in fifth gear. The Civic Type-S compares favourably on price with the five-door
Ford Focus 2.
0 Zetec and the Alfa 147 2.0, but looks a little less clever up against the more powerful
SEAT Leon Cupra. To many buyers this will be academic, as the Honda knocks all of these cars into next week with its sheer practicality. The one-box dome-shaped profile with its short nose and large glass area gives a very shrunken-People Carrier feel.
Its the same inside, where the dashboard-mounted gearlever frees up floorspace for a large lidded compartment. As for space, well theres significantly more than youd find in an ordinary family hatch, due to dimensions that make it 130mm longer and 15mm higher than a Ford Focus. Hardly surprising then, that the cabin boasts a useful amount of extra room. Compare it once more with a Focus and youll find 30mm more headroom and (perhaps more surprisingly given that its 15mm narrower) 145mm more cabin width.
Rear seat passenger legroom is especially impressive, even for the middle seat occupant who for once, can stretch his or her legs out in comfort. On to safety and security. These were once weak points of Japanese design: now theyre major attributes. Twin front and side airbags are standard on the Type-S, as are anti-lock brakes and three-point seat belts for all five occupants. Two of the rear seats have Isofix child seat mounting points. On the security front, this car copies the excellent system used on the larger Accord with deadlocks and an immobiliser.
Theres also a visible vehicle identification number to aid recovery should the car get stolen anyway. The Civic Type-S is about as sensible as a 160bhp hot hatch can get. Its a car that you can easily justify to your other half, calmly ferry the kids to school in and then revel in taking the long way back. Its a very complete vehicle, one that scarcely puts a foot wrong in any significant area and its low-key approach will appeal to the more mature buyer who isnt busting a gut to be regarded as Daddy Cool.
Type-S for subtlety, then.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Honda Civic Type-S
PRICE: £15,730 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 11
CO2 EMISSIONS: 179g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 8.2s / Max Speed 130mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 28mpg/ (extra urban) 46.3mpg/ (combined) 37.7mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/heightmm 4285/1695/1495mm
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