WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER (some text hidden) SECTIONED_hondacivic1.6i-dtec020614

By Andy Enright

Introductionword count: 151

Every once in a while, Honda wheels out something that knocks you flat, which absolutely has you wondering why they don't reach those peaks more often. Their motorcycle division manages it on a fairly regular basis, but passenger cars? That's a bit more sporadic. For every NSX, Integra Type R, that first CR-V or the eighth-generation Civic, there are long periods where the company brings us puzzlingly mediocre stuff. For a while it looked as if the ninth-generation Civic was going to fall into that latter bracket. There was no wow about it, nothing that would really compel you to choose one over, say, a Hyundai i30 or a Mazda3. That all changed with the introduction of the 1.6 i-DTEC diesel engine. All of a sudden, if you wanted the very best engine in the whole family hatch division, you bought a Civic. Here's what to look for when buying used.

Modelsword count: 16

5-door family hatch, five-door estate [(1.6 diesel) S, SE, SE Plus, SR, EX Plus, Black edition]

Historyword count: 313

It probably won't have escaped your attention that the Japanese in general and Honda in particular don't have a stellar track record when it comes to small, efficient diesel engines. For years, Honda persevered with the doomed philosophy that its VTEC petrol engines were the way forward, but the steady growth of diesel sales not just in the heartland of Europe, but also latterly in American and Asian markets made the company bow to the inevitable truth. It needed to get with the program. Before 2002, Honda didn't even have a diesel engine anywhere in its range. At that point, they introduced a 1.7-litre Isuzu-sourced diesel that was so terrible, it seemed the engineers had chosen it in a fit of pique to show how woeful black pump-fueled engines were. Fast-forward to 2013 and better diesels were more prevalent across the Japanese brand's model line-up. Indeed, the 2.2-litre 'N-Series' unit fitted to the ninth generation Civic family hatch wasn't a bad powerplant at all, torquey and relatively refined. It wasn't the right engine for a Focus-sized model in this segment though, too large in size, with economy and efficiency numbers that as time went on increasingly looked out of step with the market. Honda reacted by introducing the engine we're looking at here, a 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel powerplant that instantly catapulted the brand from also-ran to genuine contender in a number of market sectors. This unit instantly became the best-selling engine for European customers. At the start of 2014 when the Civic Tourer estate model appeared, its range was fundamentally built around this 1.6 i-DTEC diesel. And the unit was used for both bodystyles with a popular Civic 'Black' special edition variant that launched in July 2014. This engine's use continued to be widespread in the facelifted ninth generation Civic line-up that was introduced in the Spring of 2015. What You Pay (used_pay)

What You Getword count: 452

If having weighed up all the options, you conclude that it is a Civic of this kind that you really want, then you're going to be hoping that this car's price positioning towards the top of its segment will deliver you plenty in terms of standard equipment. Sure enough, across the range, you'll find features like 16-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, a DAB digital radio with eight speakers, Bluetooth and clever flip-up 'Magic' seats, as well as more expected items like daytime running lights, power heated mirrors, a USB input and auxiliary jack and headlights that stay on to see you to your front door. The real niceties of course are reserved for plusher variants - front fog lights, auto headlamps and wipers, front and rear parking sensors, a parking camera and the clever Adaptive Damping System you'll really want to realise the full dynamic repertoire of this car. Popular options you'll find fitted to many models will include satellite navigation, a roof-mounted cycle carrier, a dog guard and a 430-litre ski box. A few original buyers also specified wheels of up to 18-inch diameter - but that carried with it a cost in terms of ride quality. As for safety, a five star Euro NCAP showing is justified by the usual twin front, side and curtain airbags - though no knee 'bag is included. Plus you get all kinds of electronic acronyms to hopefully ensure that you'll never have to use them. There's Vehicle Stability Assist, as well as ABS with emergency braking assist to aid in panic stops advertised to following motorists by automatically activating brake and hazard warning lights. As for practicality, well if you go for the Civic Tourer estate model, you'll find that the interior boot floor has been raised compared to the hatchback to create a completely flat area when the seats are folded down. As with the hatch, the rear seat cushions can also be flipped up in this variant to reveal ample floor space for carrying tall objects. A 60:40 split in the seat base offers even more options for carrying both people and cargo and provides an alternative load area if access via the tailgate is limited. With the Tourer, you get 624 cubic litres of boot volume with the rear seats in place and up to 1668-litres when they're folded. There is also a very handy hidden compartment perfect for storing the tonneau cover when it is not needed. Furthermore, there is additional under floor storage in the boot which makes carrying tall objects in the boot easy, plus the height of the loading lip has been reduced by 137mm compared to the Civic hatchback. It's all been very well thought through.

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