The new Honda Civic Tourer has just gone on sale with an entry-level price of €25,695. And following a short test recently in a 1.6 i-DTEC Sport version equipped with Honda’s new Dynamic Safety Pack option which offers a suite of advanced active safety aids, I was very impressed, writes Padraic Deane.
Honda promised that it would shake up the estate car sector with class-leading load space, fuel-efficiency, low emissions, equipment levels, and a sleek and sporty style.
But while the Civic Tourer is one of the most compact and stylish cars in the class, it still offers a level of interior load space that is not just the biggest in the class, but Honda boasts that it is one of the biggest of any estate car on the Irish market. Seats up, the boot volume is an impressive 624 litres (with the rear seats up, measured up to the tonneau cover ), while folding down Honda’s unique ‘Magic Seats’ increases the load space to a massive 1,668 litres.
I really like the very clever, hidden compartment suitable for storing the tonneau cover so that it can be detached and stored out the way when it is not needed. Others should follow Honda’s innovative lead on this.
Furthermore, there is additional underfloor storage in the boot which makes carrying tall objects in the boot easy and the height of the loading lip has been reduced by 137mm compared to the Civic hatchback to facilitate easier loading.
But, while in this area, there is no spare wheel or space-saver wheel as standard. Just a tyre repair/ inflation kit, but the good people at the Irish Honda car importers, Universal Honda do offer an aftersales option of a full-sized spare wheel.
Despite being the lowest and most compact estate in the segment and being just 235mm longer than the Civic hatchback, Honda is targeting models such as the Hyundai i40 Tourer, Skoda Octavia Combi and Ford Focus Estate, with the new Civic Tourer.
The significant luggage space is cleverly supported by the Tourer’s newly developed rear Adaptive Damper System (ADS ), a world first. The clever system automatically adjusts the rear suspension damping force designed to enhance stability and comfort under the varying load and driving conditions.
The Civic Tourer is also the latest model to benefit from Honda’s ‘Earth Dreams Technology’, as it is powered by Honda’s dynamic 1.6 i-DTEC diesel engine with 120PS. The lightest engine of its type in the world, it offers class-leading emissions of 99g/km for annual road tax from just €190.
Fuel economy also benefits greatly from the ‘Earth Dreams Technology’ with Honda’s Idle Stop and Eco Assist systems working alongside the new 1.6 i-DTEC engine to produce class-leading fuel economy figures of 3.8 litres per 100km, the equivalent of 74.3mpg. In addition, the Tourer will be available with the 1.8 i-VTEC petrol engine, in manual and automatic transmission choices.
Standard equipment levels are the highest in the class, with the standard specification including Bluetooth, climate control, 16” alloy wheels, magic seats, premium audio system with eight speakers and DAB+, electric front and rear windows, remote audio controls, USB connectivity, and daytime running lights.
In a first for Honda, the Civic Tourer is also the first model to be offered with Honda’s Dynamic Safety Pack (DSP ). Using a series of cameras and radar technologies, the DSP is a suite of advanced active safety features which monitor around the car to help avoid all manner of possible accidents using features such as city-brake active system, forward collision warning, cross traffic monitor and blind spot information.
Emmet Kavanagh, marketing manager at Universal Honda Ltd told us, “The Civic Tourer is one of the most eagerly anticipated cars which we’ve launched in recent times, so it’s a real pleasure to now bring this car to Irish buyers. Designed in Europe, specifically for European drivers, Honda’s engineers have created a car which is a class-leader on so many fronts in terms of space, practicality, economy, and also style.”
Designed and developed in Europe, the British-built Civic Tourer delivers distinctive styling, class-leading utility, advanced technology and an impressive balance between fuel economy and performance. And behind this sophisticated and sporty design is a hidden versatility that leads to clever functionality and unrivalled practicality.
