- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.5i/17kW Hybrid, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
99.2kW (comb), 106Nm
- Fuel
Hybrid (91) 4.4L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto (CVT)
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Green gets cheaper
Good
Lowers the entry price for clean, green driving. High-tech, fuel-efficient drivetrain works. High refinement levels. All the comfortable, practical attributes of a conventional Civic sedan. Excellent quality.
Bad
Initial acceleration is slow. Looks like an old bloke's car. Rear seat not very comfortable or supportive. Noticeable drag on deceleration. Underdamped suspension. Air-con switches off with the engine in economy mode. No cruise.
Verdict
Tomorrow wrapped in yesterday.
Stars
4 (out of 5)
As with any good disaster flick, the plot of The Day After Tomorrow is incidental to the catastrophe - a sudden and extreme global climate change caused by the greenhouse effect.
The hero drives a Honda Insight, a petrol-electric hybrid launched here in 2001, just after the original Toyota Prius.
Both cars were regarded as expensive, oddball responses to a problem that, at the time, was perhaps yet to be taken seriously.
It's a different story now, hence Hollywood using greenhouse to put bums on seats.
Toyota's second-generation 2003 Prius Hybrid made putting your money where your conscience is a viable option. In the first half of this year, 425 Priuses were sold - small numbers, but enough to indicate that hybrids can find customers.
Honda's new Civic sedan hybrid, at $29,990, costs $7000 less than the base model Prius, making it the most affordable of the petrol-electric breed. The Insight is no longer available.
While the futuristic-looking Prius is styled to appeal to technophiles, the Civic is unrecognisable from its conventional sibling, as if designed for technophobes who don't trust the engineering unless it comes in a plain wrapper.
The Prius and Civic use a similar drivetrain: a petrol engine as the primary power source, supplemented by an electric motor and large capacity storage battery. But the Civic is simpler, smaller, less powerful and lacks some of the Prius's gee-whiz features, such as the ability to run silently for a couple of kilometres on electric power only.
The Civic's drivetrain incorporates a long stroke, two valves/spark plugs per cylinder 1.3-litre four. The 10kW electric motor is sandwiched between the engine and a continuously variable automatic transmission. A 144-volt nickel-metal hydride battery is stored between the rear seat and the boot, together with the system's electronic control units.
Like the Prius, the Civic captures energy by creating electricity during braking or deceleration and storing it in the battery, from where it is directed when required - usually under acceleration to the electric motor as supplementary power to petrol.
Together, the engine/motor produce 69kW of power at 5700rpm. However, when it comes to fuel efficiency torque is what counts and the Civic's 146Nm, at only 2000rpm is a much more useful number.
Other fuel-saving measures include a relatively low drag coefficient (0.28, which is less slippery than the 0.26 Prius), thanks largely to underbody streamlining panels, lightweight plastics and high-tensile steels, which contribute to a rather lithe 1190kg weight, borne by low-rolling resistance silica tyres on alloy wheels.
If you're not using the air-conditioning, the engine automatically stops when the car does, restarting as soon as you press the accelerator.
The Civic is quite lethargic off the line, taking a while before both power sources start delivering to the front wheels via the CVT transmission but, once rolling, it's tractable and refined with deceptively strong performance at very low revs. It doesn't quite have the high-voltage mid-range muscle of the Prius, though, because its electric motor is much less powerful.
The transmission responds quickly and accurately to the accelerator, dialling up the revs you require and, once mobile at least, minimising torque loss. For some bizarre reason, it has a sports mode, which just ups the revs for no purpose.
Fuel economy is sensational - especially in town, where the Civic uses only 5 litres/100km.
In city traffic, you're often stationary, braking, or on a trailing accelerator - all situations where a hybrid is creating energy rather than using it.
Unlike a conventional car, a hybrid will generally use more fuel on the highway, because the engine is running all the time, usually without electric power assistance. On the open road, the Civic used 5.6 litres/100km.
The only glitch in the Civic's drivetrain is noticeable drag when you lift off the accelerator and the electric motor kicks into power-generation mode. The effect is similar to engine braking - of which there is almost none, as the VTEC variable valve operation system effectively minimises the engine's pumping action.
Honda claims to have stiffened the standard Civic's suspension to sharpen up the hybrid's dynamics. In day-to-day use, it handles in a reasonably taut, confident fashion, but the suspension is underdamped and the car can bounce and float on undulations, a characteristic that gets worse with a full load on board.
The electric power steering is light and accurate, with little road feel. Disc/drum brakes with ABS are adequate.
Step into the Prius and you know you're in a high-tech machine. It's all sweeping curves, shiny plastics and flashing lights. The Civic, on the other hand, is almost retro. Fake timber, beige velour trim and conventional styling belie its 21st-century engineering.
The only giveaway is the digital/analogue instrument panel, which is all black until you turn on the ignition, when it lights up the numbers in blue and the needles in red.
It has a fuel-consumption gauge, another which shows the battery's state of charge, and a graduated display that shows whether the battery is being charged or providing extra power.
Otherwise, the dash is quite basic. A simple three-dial air-conditioning system, the minimum number of buttons on the in-dash CD head unit, and conventional wands and switches present no problems.
There is little oddment storage and the instruments can be a bit difficult to read in bright sunlight. The headlights are reasonably effective.
Front and side airbags, remote central locking, power windows and mirrors are standard; cruise control is a notable omission.
The comfortable driver's seat has a firm, supportive cushion and properly bolstered backrest. The height adjuster may not have enough travel for short drivers, though, and it operates on the back of the cushion only, so when you raise the seat it also becomes too flat.
The leather-wrapped wheel is height adjustable only. Legroom is adequate.
Rear-seat legroom is fine for a couple of taller adults, though the cushion and backrest are short and unsupportive. Headroom is adequate for those up to about 185cm.
Boot space is slightly compromised by the battery/control units, hidden between a panel and the back seat. This prevents a split rear seat back to extend carrying capacity.
However, the boot is big enough for day-to-day requirements and its wide opening makes it easy to load. A space saver spare is underneath.
Nuts & bolts - Honda Civic Hybrid
Engine: 1.3-litre eight-valve fuel-injected four-cylinder/10kW electric motor/144-volt NMH battery.
Power: (combined petrol/electric) 69kW at 5700rpm (below average).
Performance: 0-100kmh in 14.6 seconds (slow off the line; rolling acceleration is respectable).
Brakes: Disc/drum with ABS (average).
Economy: 5.0-5.2 litres/100km city; 5.6 litres/100km highway (excellent).
Prices: Recommended retail - $29,990. Street price - No deals.
Main options: Metallic/pearlescent paint $259.
Warranty: Three years/100,000 kilometres (average).
Residual value: New model with no history.
Safety rating: Conventional 1.5-litre Civic sedan scored four stars in NCAP crash tests. Honda claims the hybrid should meet five-star standards for frontal crash performance.
Competitors
Toyota Prius 1.5 - $36,990
Prices and details correct at publication date.