Reliability, technology and space. These are the premises that have guided the evolution of the Honda Civic over more than 45 years of history.
A model that, as we will see later, has a special relevance in the history of a brand whose origins date back to 1937.
from Japan to the world
Already established worldwide as one of the world's largest motorcycle manufacturers, Soichiro Honda, the brand's founder, wanted more. He wanted to establish Honda with one of the world's largest automakers.
To achieve this goal, he needed a model capable of winning in all markets. From Japan to Europe, not forgetting the USA. It was 1972 when Soichiro Honda took the most important step in this direction.
Soichiro Honda's conviction of the Honda Civic's qualities was so deep that he decided to present it in Europe, in the most fearsome terrain: the Frankfurt Motor Show, the heart of the German car industry.
Based on a three-door body and equipped with a 1.2 liter four-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive, the Honda Civic determined in its first generation its orientation: to be a competent family member.
Two years later, in 1975, the 1.5 CVCC engine (Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion) was launched in the Civic range, which we can call the «grandfather of the VTEC system». A system developed with a focus on consumption and emissions, to respond to the oil crisis of the 70s. Honda's environmental concerns are not new.
A growing success
Soichiro Honda got the formula right… at first. The Honda Civic was a bestseller in every market where it was sold.
For the second generation Honda revised the design, technology and increased the power of its engines. All engines are now equipped with CVCC technology, offering power between 56 hp and 68 hp.
The great evolutions were reserved for the 3rd generation, launched in 1983. By this time, Honda was already one of the giants of the automobile industry and the world's largest manufacturer of gasoline engines.
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In 1987 the fourth generation of the Civic appeared. This was not just an evolution of the previous generation. The Honda Civic was now more efficient and technologically more advanced than ever.
It was with the fourth generation that the Civic range received for the first time an electronic injection system and independent rear suspension.
To increase the range's appeal and notoriety, Honda has prepared an even sportier Honda Civic CRX.
From growing success to unavoidable presence
When the fifth generation Honda Civic was introduced in 1991, the Japanese compact was already a "heavyweight" in the segment. Available with three-door bodywork, two-door coupé and saloon, the Civic seemed to want to please 'Greeks and Trojans'. And I could…
But apart from all the qualities that made the Civic what it was until then, what truly marked this generation was the launch of the 160hp 1.6 VTEC engine. The first with the famous VTEC system: Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control.
The 1.6 VTEC engine (codename B16A) was what Honda lacked to assert its status as the world's largest producer of gasoline engines.
In 1996 the sixth generation of the Civic appeared. A generation based on the premises of the fifth generation, but capable of offering more interior space and an interior with more equipment. It was also in this generation that the first van variant appeared, much to the taste of the Portuguese and… the all-powerful Honda Civic Type R – which unfortunately was exclusive to the Japanese market.
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The new millennium and the Honda Civic
The seventh generation Honda Civic marked a revolution in terms of form, but not in terms of concept. Honda decided to bring the shapes of the Civic closer to the shapes of a people carrier and the gains in terms of space and versatility were undeniable.
Type-R version.
The answer to the criticism comes in 2006, with the launch of the eighth generation Honda Civic. The look very close to a concept, the interior with the instrumentation divided into two levels and the adoption of magical seats in the rear, made this generation the most revolutionary in the history of the Civic.
At the same time, the hybrid versions, equipped with the IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) system, continued to gain ground, albeit slower than expected by the brand. Honda needed a Diesel version below the 2.2 i-CTDi debuted on the Honda Accord.
We had to wait until the ninth generation Honda Civic to discover the first model in the range equipped with a Diesel engine developed from the ground up to match European tastes: the acclaimed 120hp 1.6 i-DTEC Earth Dreams.
A motorization that stood out from the outset for its consumption, reliability and pleasant use.
Honda showed all its know-how, now in Diesels.
The ultimate world offensive
For the 10th generation Civic, Honda left with the same ambition with which Soichiro Honda developed the 1st Civic. Make the Japanese model a model on a world scale.
The new generation platform is completely new, focusing on a more consensual style and an architecture that ensures two principles of the «modern era» in the Civic range: comfort and dynamics. Proof of this commitment was the adoption of a multilink rear axle in all versions and adaptive suspensions in the most equipped versions.
In terms of gasoline engines, the highlight is the new i-VTEC Turbo engine family, with 129 and 182 hp. In the field of diesel engines, we find once again the acclaimed 1.6 i-DTEC engine, revised to comply with the most demanding anti-pollution standards.
Find yours on the Civic Challenge
An engine that continues to have immense demand in the national market, both by individuals and companies, thanks to its low consumption and convincing performance from low regimes. The price for the national market is 23 800 Euros, according to the current campaign. All details on this link.
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