The Honda Civic needs no introduction — it has been one of Honda's pillars since the 1970s. Since its introduction in 1972, it has continued to evolve and grow. It is this growth that stands out the most in the film, which shows in 60 seconds the evolution from the first to the most recent of the Civics (only hatchbacks, in two volumes) in its Type-R version.
the first civic
The first Honda Civic was a 100% new car and took the place of the small N600, a version of the kei car N360 aimed at international markets such as Europe and the US. You could almost say that the new Civic was twice the car the N600 was. It grew in all directions, doubled the number of seats, cylinders and engine cubic capacity. It even allowed the Civic to go up in the segment.
The first Civic featured a three-door body, a 1.2-litre, 60hp four-cylinder engine, front brake discs and independent rear suspension. Among the options available were a two-speed automatic transmission and even air conditioning. The dimensions were tiny — it's slightly shorter, but much slimmer and lower than a current Fiat 500. The weight is also small, around 680 kg.
the last civic
Tracing the story of the Civic's various generations can be complex. This is because for several generations, there were different models depending on the market. And despite sharing foundations among themselves, American, European, and Japanese Civics differed greatly in form.
Something that seems to have ended with the presentation of the most recent generation of the Civic, the tenth, presented in 2015. It uses a completely new platform and presents itself with three bodies: hatchback and hatchback and a coupé, sold in the USA. Like the first Civic, we have seen the return of the independent rear suspension after an interval of a few generations.
In Europe, it is equipped with supercharged three- and four-cylinder engines, culminating in the 320 hp of the 2.0-litre turbocharged Civic Type-R, which currently holds the record for fastest front-wheel drive vehicle on the Nürburgring.
It is one of the largest cars in the segment, exceeding 4.5 meters in length, practically a meter longer than the first Civic. It is also 30 cm wider and 10 cm taller, and the wheelbase has grown by about half a meter. Of course it's also heavier — twice as heavy as the first generation.
Despite the gigantism and obesity, the new Civic (1.0 turbo) has consumption comparable to the first generation. Signs of the Times…