Honda has announced that the new Civic will cost from £16,495 and that order books for it are open today.
The model range consists of four trim lines (ES, SE, EX, EX GT) and three engines (1.4, 1.8, 2.2 i-DTEC diesel) – and Motoring Research has analysed the line-up to see what sort of value the new Honda Civic offers.
The £16,495 entry level price initially doesn’t compare well to the entry-level Ford Focus, Studio which costs £13,995. There is also a Vauxhall Astra Expression that costs just £12,995.
Those two models are exceptional cases, however, offered with a limited range of colours and a paired-back specification level. The Honda fares much more strongly when compared to more mainstream variants such as the Ford Focus Edge and Zetec.
That’s because even the basic Honda Civic SE has a strong level of equipment. 16-inch alloy wheels, automatic air con and USB connectivity are all standard, and stop-start features on all manual-gearbox models. The base 100hp 1.4-litre engine can average 52.3mpg too (further aided by Honda’s clever fuel-saving ‘ECON’ button).
This compares well to the Ford Focus. A 1.6 TI-VCT Edge costs £15,995 but lacks features such as the Honda’s alloy wheels and automatic air conditioning. The popular (and more comparable) Ford Zetec trim costs £16,995, £500 more than the Honda.
Those who want more power can pay £1500 more for the 142hp 1.8-litre petrol. This can average 48.7mpg.
Where Honda’s value card falters is with the diesel, though. The powerful 150hp 2.2-litre i-DTEC can average a remarkable 67.3mpg and emits just 110g/km CO2. However, it costs £3600 more than the standard 1.4-litre petrol, with a heady entry price of £20,095.
The cheapest Ford Focus diesel of all (the Edge 1.6-litre TDCi 95) is £16,995; the cheapest 2.0-litre TDCi 140 Zetec model is £19,495.
Honda Civic heartland
The best-value Honda Civic appears to be the ES mode, which which cost from £18,995. This includes dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth, cruise control, rear-view camera, folding door mirrors, automatic headlights and wipers, leather steering wheel and front fog lamps.
It’s not available with the 1.4-litre engine, but the diesel is offered, costing from £21,095.
A T-Grade pack is available with the SE and ES models, which adds sat nav for £995.
This spec level is comparable with a Ford Focus Titanium, which costs £18,745 in base 1.6 TI-VCT 125 guise and £19,745 in 1.6 Ecoboost 150 guise. The 2.0-litre TDCi diesel costs £20,745.
Honda Civic premium models
Two EX models sit at the top of the 2012 Honda Civic range. The standard EX adds leather seats, sat nav and a premium stereo, and costs £21,745 for the 1.8 and £23,845 for the 2.2 i-DTEC.
The EX GT adds yet more equipment: front and rear parking sensors, keyless entry, panoramic roof, bi-xenon headlights and rear privacy glass. It’s the car pictured above; it costs £24,495 as a 1.8 or £26,595as a 2.2 i-DTEC.
Ford doesn’t yet offer a Focus model with quite such a bounty of standard equipment: the most expensive 1.6 Ecoboost Titanium X 150 costs £22,350 (with sat nav costing £550 more). It does, however, still include leather seat bolsters, xenon headlights and rear park assist.
Honda Civic v BMW 1 Series
Drawing comparisons with mainstream alternatives thus proves tricky for the latest Honda Civic. How does it compare to a premium alternative such as the BMW 1 Series?
The 136hp BMW 116i ES costs from £19,375, and the 143hp 118d SE costs from £22,030. Neither model gets the broad standard specification of the Honda Civic, though.
The range-topping 184hp BMW 120d Urban is initially comparable to the 150hp 2 2 i-DTEC Honda Civic EX GT. However, BMW charges £1550 extra for sat nav, and £1140 more for xenon headlights. Not even rear parking sensors are included as standard.
VERDICT
The Honda Civic looks to offer a strong selection of standard features for the money. Lower-spec models compare well with mid-spec mainstream alternatives, and although the prices of higher-grade variants are more comparable with premium models such as the BMW 1 Series, they also have far more equipment.
This fits well with the Civic’s slight cut-above image (as does the lack of lower-end ‘value’ editions). It strikes a good balance between mainstream and premium, while offering crucial additional value over the outgoing model. RA
Tags: 1 Series, Astra, BMW, Civic, Focus, Ford, Honda, Vauxhall
