Greetings readers! It's my favorite time of year: AUTO SHOW TIME! And that means we get a more in-depth look at some of the latest models that'll be hitting roadways soon. Many exciting concepts and production models were unveiled at this year's 2016 North American International Auto Show, and we'll be taking a look at some here on Adam's Autos! The first of which is none other than the new Honda Civic!
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| The 2016 Honda Civic sedan: 2016 North American Car of the Year Recipient |
YAY! An all new Civic for only the... How many times now???
The answer to that question is 10. There have now been 10 generations of Honda's Civic now, dating back to 1973 in Japan. I'm choosing to highlight this model not because it was unveiled at this auto show (because it wasn't, it's already on sale), but because it marks such a huge leap forward for the compact car segment and the Civic name! The previous Civic was rather... ho-hum in its ratings by agencies such as Consumer Reports, and while maintaining relatively above average quality overall, still had a sense of "cheapness" to it that was lacking from past Civics. Well no more! This new model was so much improved, it won the prestigious North American Car of the Year award! Why is that you ask?
Substance Is the Word
Substance. That is why the Civic won car of the year. Substance is the rave these days in the auto industry! Higher quality materials, more fuel economy, more value at less cost for consumers, and the list goes on. Automakers are actually putting their best efforts into making even their "lesser" models competitive on a global scale. And it shows in designs like the Civic.
Throughout the interior, the attention to detail and technology is just phenomenal. Especially when compared to the prior generation Civic. As part of a project for a marketing group I was in on campus at Michigan State University, we had to market the 2012 Honda Civic sedan to Gen. Y college students. At that time, the Civic came standard with features such as Bluetooth integration for music and phones, USB connection ports, satellite radio, among other features. These features being standard was considered HUGE back in the 2012 timeframe, and Honda really pushed us to put emphasis on those features and what its competitors (Chevy Cruze, Ford Focus, Kia Forte, etc.) lacked to aid in our appeal to younger buyers. Admittedly, it was a tough sell. Both due to the fact that not everyone was interested in cars as opposed to their grades and mounting student debt, but also because the Civic example Honda provided us with was just so dull-feeling...
Fast forward just 4 years, and the leap in technology both standard and available is staggering! All models still have Bluetooth streaming audio and USB connectivity standard, however, EX and above models enter into a whole new realm of advanced! Featuring the latest in-car connectivity systems, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, on equipped models, you can seamlessly integrate your cellphone into your Civic's touchscreen and operate it as though it never left your hands and thorough voice commands! Its really something to behold when you look up all of the different features included in those packages and how it functions overall. In addition to these features, several other modern technologies and conveniences such as XM and HD radio, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert for when you're backing up, forward collision warning, lane departure warning with lane keeping assist, an extra fancy "floating" front storage console under the dashboard, and so much more are all available or standard on several trims of the new Civic. As I mentioned before: substance. There's certainly no lack of it here!
When Will We See It?
The 2016 Civic is already on sale. Pricing starts at $18,640 in the sedan, the only bodystyle currently available. However, it certainly wouldn't be characteristic of Honda to not offer a coupe version of the Civic, as they have in the past. And for that audience, Honda unveiled a coupe concept that looks pretty convincing to me. I already like the sedan's styling. Although I must say, I do see a hint of Honda Accord Crosstour styling in it, which is one of my least favorite Honda vehicles.
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| The Honda Crosstour (previously called the "Honda Accord Crosstour", until Honda realized they didn't want to risk tainting their legendary "Accord" nameplate) was sold from the 2010 to 2015 model year. It was QUITE the slow seller to say the least... I certainly see some family resemblance between the new Civic and the Crosstour in the Civic's rear end, however. |
Also from what I hear, not having any actual volume knobs on the radio on the inside can prove to be more of an annoyance than you think (Honda's new infotainment system in some models relies heavily on capacitive touch buttons and tablet-style swiping instead of physical buttons).
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| 10th Generation variant of the popular Honda Civic Coupe |
Overall, I greatly approve of this new Civic design, as it definitely makes up for ground lost by the previous generation. Let's hope we do see an Si model of both the sedan and upcoming coupe in the future, as the new 1.5 turbo 4 cylinder, while regarded as pretty decent overall, won't satisfy Civic lovers as the only uplevel engine choice. Let's also hope the upcoming Si and Type-R models get conventional transmissions and not a controversial CVT (continuously variable transmissions), such as the one found in most 2016 Civic trim levels now.
The Verdict: The Honda Civic is certainly worthy of any sedan buyer's consideration and a test drive. An in-depth review in the near future is a must for this model!
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