The challenge was launched like an arrow to a target and couldn't be more accurate. Is the Honda Civic 1.6 i-Dtec as spared as they advertise? We took him for a walk…
The tour that the Honda Civic 1.6 i-Dtec had ahead was ideal for a day of spring sunshine – leave Sintra towards Lisbon, take a walk through the city center, stop at the offices of Razão Automóvel for the “test of the prying eyes”, leaving the city's pollution towards the purity of the Arrábida Natural Park and ending the trip at Portinho da Arrábida. Then it was just back to the starting house with an average consumption (comfortably) below 5 liters. In an ideal route, Honda guarantees 3.6 l/100 for the COMFORT version and 3.7 l/100 for the SPORT version. Sounds easy…
ECO mode on, ready to ride!
It was a sunny morning, perhaps one of the first of the year that invited a long walk. Outside the newsroom there it was – a Honda Civic 1.6 i-Dtec. White, in the Sport version, with a face of few friends and surrounded by more curious looks than expected, he was nervously awaiting the final test he would have to face. I had already ridden the IC19 in “stop-and-go”, a final test of consumption…and nerves! The average remained below 5 liters, but the day had barely begun.Average consumption: 4.0 l/100
prying eyes test
We do some nasty things here at Ledger Automobile. One of them is to park the test vehicles outside the newsroom and wait for the prying eyes of those passing by. It's proving to be a very interesting type of voyeurism! The eyes are permanent and both men and women observed the Japanese diesel, the maximum exponent of the heresy for the faithful followers of the VTEC. The first one was an EMEL inspector, but the ticket was on top of the dashboard and within the validity period, much to your displeasure.
The Honda Civic 1.6 i-Dtec is far from being a consensus generator and the lack of consensus goes beyond the exterior or interior design, passing through the engine as well. Opinions are divided on the bold design of the exterior and the spaceship styling that marks the interior. For many, its appearance is unbalanced and shifts from a front with personality to a clueless rear. The truth is, tastes cannot be disputed, but one thing is certain – the Honda Civic 1.6 i-Dtec will never be a German diplomat. But was it ever? Let's leave this discussion for another rubric.
face the city
In town the Honda Civic 1.6 i-Dtec is quite comfortable and competent. The Start&Stop system, combined with the ECO mode, guarantee you consumption well below the average for the segment. We were even able to circulate below 4 liters, even if only for a few kilometers – if Lisbon weren't the city of seven hills! In addition to the low consumption that we saw at the beginning of our trip, this Honda Civic 1.6 i-dtec has another trump card that it showed us in the first kilometers – despite the reduced consumption, we don't see reduced performance. Final consumption in the city ends up rising to 4.2 liters/100. If the city is your natural habitat, we can count on consumptions below 5 liters, but the right foot has to be a “sir” and the ECO mode our best friend.Small engine but with big breath
The sprint from 0-100 takes 10.5 seconds and the top speed is 207 km/h, very positive numbers for a block that was built around efficiency – in terms of emissions, the figure stands at 98 g/km. This Honda Civic 1.6 i-Dtec is probably the best engine in its segment, not only for fuel consumption, but for its fast acceleration and very available torque at low revs – the 300 nm maximum torque and 120 hp of power are key points for the success of this engine. Even having been victim of a late downsizing, the Honda Civic 1.6 i-Dtec managed to preserve the irreverent vein of the model in the Japanese brand.
The Honda Civic 1.6 i-Dtec is almost like a goal winner at birth, because in addition to the engine presenting unprecedented performance and consumption in the segment, Honda engineers even managed to reduce the mechanical friction of this block by 40% - when circulating at 1500 rpm – compared to the more powerful 150 hp 2.2 i-Dtec that is also available for this model. It is true that the 2.2 i-Dtec should be more enthusiastic due to its performance, but consumption has a very strong weight in a comparison between these two model engines. This reduced friction at low rpm is the right ingredient for reduced consumption on chaotic routes such as cities at rush hour.
Average consumption: 4.2 l/100
Mountain Airs: Ecologically Fun?
The kilometers traveled on the A2 towards the Arrábida Natural Park were enlightening – the Honda Civic 1.6 i-dtec is a champion of consumption. After a few kilometers the average consumption dropped to 4.1 liters and when the RA team prepared to leave the highway towards Serra, the on-board computer announced 4.0 liters per 100.
Soon we came across the ideal route to test the dynamic skills of the Honda Civic 1.6 i-Dtec. With the emergence of the winding road in the Arrábida Natural Park, the progress was more lively until our destination. Of course, consumption is penalized, but even so, and due to the evolution of consumption, the Honda Civic promised to surprise the RA team.
The chassis is competent and we can approach corners without fear of a “lost” rear or front. Easy to tame and agile, the Honda Civic 1.6 i-Dtec doesn't force the driver to use the gearbox to keep up with what's wanted to be a fast pace – however, with ECO mode on, we're forced to use the gearbox more often, which is understandable. The seats have good lumbar support and make the ride very comfortable.
The height and depth-adjustable steering wheel, in this SPORT version, tested by us, has a leather handle, as well as a leather handle for the 6-speed gearbox lever. Aluminum pedals, together with these leather inserts that I mentioned, are not an incentive for economical driving…but the price of diesel is enough for that too. But… what about the consumptions with live movement in the mix? They went up to 1 liter to 100.
Average consumption: 5.2 l/100
5 years in development
Arriving at Portinho da Arrábida, it was time to appreciate the landscape and the Honda Civic 1.6 i-Dtec. But before looking inside, the outside deserved our attention. As I had initially written, this Honda Civic will never be a German diplomat, however it still has its audience – someone who is different without running the risk of appearing to drive something cheap and poorly built. The Honda Civic 1.6 i-Dtec features superior build quality and the look, however different from the norm, is positive.
Honda contacted several owners of the latest generation model and tried to understand what had failed in terms of design. It was a product democratically developed among Hondistas selected by the brand, but even so it continues to receive strong criticism from within and outside its community of loyal followers. The Honda Civic 1.6 i-Dtec also lacks for being a diesel, but even more for having a small engine, at least for the most purists. But this competitively-aligned position, taken by Honda (according to many voices) too late, has proved a success – 512 Honda Civic 1.6 i-Dtec were sold between January and March 2013 representing a sales growth of 30, 6% compared to the same period of the previous year.
Interior: versatility is a strong point
Unsurprisingly, this new Honda Civic has an interior as versatile as a Swiss Army knife. In addition to good soundproofing and construction quality, Honda's storage spaces and “magic benches” are an asset. We can take everything in the car – just choose if we want to take something that fits between the seats with folding seat(!) or something that we have to hide inside the false base of the suitcase. No doubt about its durability, the console's plastics are not the best in their segment and are a detail to review in the near future.
The instrument panel is very intuitive and when we drive in ECO mode the two dashed lanes, which flank the electronic speedometer, come to life – from green to dark blue depending on our consumption is low or higher. This dynamic of moving colors makes the driver instinctively want to lighten the weight on his right foot. When in reverse gear, the on-board computer gives way to the image of the rear camera – with visibility affected by the strip that divides the rear window, this camera available on the Honda Civic 1.6 i-Dtec is an asset – after some maneuvers already we don't even look back (unless…).
Still inside, I confess that I had some difficulty pairing the cell phone. The Honda Civic 1.6 i-Dtec has an intuitive on-board computer, but it is necessary to review the indications that are given to the user within this specific menu. Because I struggled a lot with bluetooth, I decided to convince Guilherme Costa to pair his phone – to clear up this issue, there's nothing better than a yolk from Alentejo as a guinea pig. The result was evident: either the people from Alentejo are really slow or I have an Alentejo streak that I don't know about...
Sport version is balanced
The version we rehearsed was SPORT. This version puts the price of the Honda Civic 1.6 i-Dtec at 25,600 euros, against 24,350 euros for the CONFORT version. For the most demanding, there is still the Lifestyle version for 27,100 euros. We don't think it's wise to invest more than the request for the Honda Civic 1.6 i-Dtec Sport, because we've already started to approach the more powerful diesel version and this SPORT version is well equipped.
Parking sensors are not standard but the rear camera serves to avoid some disasters. However, with the reduced rear visibility that the Honda Civic offers, the best thing is to opt for the sensors, don't let the devil weave them… The equipment list in the SPORT version is vast enough to take up too much space, but the ones are worth mentioning. 17″ wheels (225/45), electronically folding rearview mirrors and gadgets that align with the best competition – cruise control, front leds, automatic halogen headlamps with coming home function, rear and front electric windows, USB, AUX input, hill start assistance, stability and braking assistance, bi-zone automatic air conditioning, among others.
Back to base: final summary
The Honda Civic 1.6 i-Dtec was a good company and surprised positively. Your engine is in fact very friendly to the driver's license and the petrol stations' biggest enemy. The final result was 4.7 liters at 100, with a lot of brisk movement to the mixture and minimum periods of 3.9 and maximum periods of 5.2. When driving in a more sporty way, consumption should stabilize above 5 liters, however it is possible in daily use to obtain results below 4.5 liters per 100, using moderate driving and with the ECON button pressed. Consumption is not far from the 3.6 announced by Honda for the COMFORT version. Those 3.6's are achieved on an ideal course and without the 17″ wheels screwing up the bills. For the SPORT version Honda guarantees 3.7 liters – the discrepancy of 1 liter to 100, after an economical driving style mixed with a sportier one, seems to us too small to be criticized.
Final consumption: 4.7 l/100
If it is true that design does not please everyone, the same cannot be said of everything else. The Honda Civic 1.6 i-Dtec is a serious proposition to consider when changing cars. These days, the wallet thanks you! Leave your opinion about this essay here and on our Facebook.
| MOTOR | 4 cylinders |
| CYLINDRAGE | 1597 cc |
| STREAMING | Manual, 6 Speed |
| TRACTION | Forward |
| WEIGHT | 1487 kg. |
| POWER | 120 hp / 4000 rpm |
| BINARY | 300 NM / 2000 rpm |
| 0-100 KM/H | 10.5 sec. |
| SPEED MAXIMUM | 207 km/h |
| CONSUMPTION | 3.7 lt./100 km |
| PRICE | €25,100 |