2013 Honda Civic review

Honda has stopped the rot of terminal boredom and fun is on the horizon

2013 Honda Civic

Here's a précis of the last few Hondas. We've has a hybrid Jazz, the new Civic, The CR-V soft-roader... and now this: a Civic with a new 1.6-litre diesel. Not exactly thrilling, is it? Where's the Type R, the NSX, the joie de vivre? Thing don't look hopeful, because this 1.5 appears to focus on the eco rather than the exciting. At least the figures are mighty impressive: the Civic emits just 95g/km of CO2 (rising to 98g/km if you upgrade to 17in wheels),does 78.5mpg, and offers a glimmer of hope in the stats. It's not just the engine's green credentials’ that are preky- it's also got 118bhp and 221lb ft, which seems like a decent compromise between green and go

2013 Honda Civic

This stuff is important: 1.6-litre diesels are the bread and butter of the European motoring market, and yet Honda- the world's largest engine builder-didn't offer one. That changes now, hopefully creating a car attractive enough for Honda to start siphoning off some profit to throw into developing the more exciting cars. In practice, there's no reason why this new little diesel shouldn't be a shot in the arm for the Civic range. The engine is properly refined, and, because the turbo kicks in from a usefully low 1,400rpm, it's easily punchy enough. About the only time you'll struggle a tiny bit is an long, uphill drags-the extra torque of the 2.2-litre diesel would make all the difference-but overall it's marginal stuff

2013 Honda Civic

And, thanks to the new, long-legged six-speed gearbox, it quietly ticks over at a smidge above 2,00rpm at motorway speeds. The 'box ‘action is as snicky and satisfying as ever. So far, so worthy. But a surprise is coming. Unlike a lot of diesels, it doesn't hate revs, and Honda has lightened the 1.6 to the point where it's 47kg slimmer than the 2.2. Because the engine is so svelte (it's only 20kg heavier than a similarly sized petrol engine), the nose is light and so there's not much under steer. Combine this with the decent torque, a smartly reactive turbo and some sharp steering, and suddenly the 1.6 diesel Civic is alive. It’s no Type R, but at least it feels like there's some sort of engagement. Net result? This Civic is surprisingly fun to drive, But Surely it says something about Honda that a diesel Civic is capable of injecting some mojo back into the brand

Honda Civic Specs

The numbers: 1597cc, 4cyl, FWD, 118bhp, 221lb ft, 78.5 mpg, 94g/km CO2, 0-62mph in 10.5secs, 129mph, 1428kg

Honda civic price: 23,175 Euro