THE VERDICT

Good: The Civic sports a dazzling exterior design and an advanced styled dash. Civic is loaded with the type R engine that is fun to rev also the Si comes with additional features. The Rear seats have a clever folding system.

Not so Good: Disappointing rear view vision. High price is the Si’s biggest downfall. Type R is a manual only (no clever DSG-style gearbox on offer). Will the avant-garde dash design handle the test of time?

THE REVIEW

Design and Engineering

Good: Terrific genuine design – modern Japanese at its very best! Concealed rear door handles on the 5-door Si grade are a nice touch.

Not so good: Appearance will probably be a tiny bit bold and ‘unusual’ for some. Bold design does come at the expenditure of visibility – rearwards vision is below par.

Interior and Styling

Good: The layout at the driver’s seat is an advanced touch to the interiors. The centre console offers large and easy to use knobs with a lots of storage space. The rear seats a settled in with enough space and a unique folding function to create even more space. Its only Honda Civic Si that offers the heated leather seats for extra comfort.

Not so good: Si could have used a better quality material (this one is way behind the best). Also the rear spoiler makes the rear view more inadequate than it already is. The car offers no rear view wipers.

Performance

Good: Si’s 1.8L engine is relatively smooth and a great match to the ever-smooth six-speed manual. The Type R really, really likes to rev (if you don’t like this style of driving, the Si grade is the better choice). Type R’s six-speed box is a delight to use (thankfully so).

Not so good: Even with a 1.8L petrol engine Si fails to provide direct injection or turbocharging technology which is evidently present in the many competitors. Compared to the price, the engine misses out a lot of what the competition offers also with all the luxury stuffed in, the Si is not a light car. Type R engine can scream its lungs out when at low torque. This can be an embarrassment.

Ride and Handling

Good: Electric steering offers good feedback. Type R’s limited slip differential (LSD) helps keep the front-wheel drive configuration and high-revving engine working well together; Type R is a joy to drive on twisty country roads – loads of fun on offer here.

Not so good: Si’s easy on the pocket torsion beam rear suspension yields an excess of road noise in the cabin. Si is no Hot Hatch (Type R is though!) Type R’s stiff suspension ain’t so snug when sitting in day-to-day urban traffic.

Buying and Owning

Good: Si comes standard with luxuries such as heated leather seats, a six-stack stereo, dual zone climate control and smart looking 17-inch alloys. High safety rating and plenty of airbags as standard on both. Reverse parking sensors will get a lot of use in your Civic.

Not so good: The Si grade is steeply-priced (possibly because it is UK built). The Type R only has two seat belts in the rear; however, the front is a better place to be.