All-New Honda Civic Adds New Dimensions to the Compact Car Segment
Kuala Lumpur, 9 March 2006 – Following its debut in the third quarter 2005 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and its Japanese launch a month later at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show the all-new Honda Civic is finally here in Malaysia.
Launched at an elaborate ceremony attended by the top management of Honda Malaysia and Honda Japan, at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, the Honda Civic adds new dimensions to the compact car market. If anything else, the new Civic isn’t a compact car anymore. Now in its eighth generation, the Civic has grown, and is knocking at the doors of the Honda Accord in terms of size.
Here are some comparison figures. In terms of overall length, the new Civic is 4,540mm, which is 125mm shorter than the Accord. However, the wheelbase of the Civic measures 2,700mm, against 2,670mm for the Accord. Wheelbase, for the uninitiated, is the centre-to-centre distance between the front and rear wheels, which has an impact on the length of the passenger cabin, and legroom. Therefore, although the Civic is shorter than the Accord, it may have a bigger ‘living’ space for its occupants. In terms of overall width, the Civic is 1755mm, a mere 5mm narrower than the Accord. Its overall height stands at 1,435mm, 15mm shorter than the Accord. These figures certainly are food for thought.
The new Civic is available with two engine options; a newly developed 1.8 litre engine that offers the fuel economy of a 1.5 litre engine, and the power of a 2.0 litre engine. The 1.8 litre comes in SOHC configuration with i-VTEC, while the 2.0 litre engine is a DOHC with i-VTEC. Horsepower figures are 140 PS and 155 PS respectively.
Both models come with a 5-speed automatic gearbox (while most other makes are still on 4-speed); the 2.0 litre model has an additional paddle shift mounted behind the steering wheel for more ‘fun’ driving. Both cars come with ABS and EBD, plus VSA. VSA stands for Vehicle Stability Assist, which in essence is a stability control system using the ABS systems to apply brakes on the inside wheel of any axle going through a skid to straighten out the car. In ordinary language, it is an anti-skid device that works automatically when a gizmo called a ‘yaw sensor’ senses that your car is skidding, and goes to work to help straighten you out. This is a feature that is worth its weight in gold when you are in trouble.
AW already has a short test report based on a short test drive in Japan. I hear that there is a more comprehensive test session coming up. This will enable us to evaluate the local assembled models and share it with you.
Prices? The 1.8 litre model retails for RM117, 800, while the 2.0 litre retails for RM131, 800. All showrooms are open for booking, although the 2.0 litre deliveries will only commence by end April due to Honda’s wish to put more priority on the 1.8 Litre for the time being.
