Honda Civic Hatchback 1.5 VTEC Turbo
The Honda Civic Hatchback is built to be driven, but it can be much more than that. It can be flexible and easily adapt to be what you want it to be. The Honda Civic is now in its 10th generation, with the latest model offering striking looks and frugal engines to tempt buyers away from more mainstream choices, as well as crossovers.
Power comes from a range of small, turbocharged engines, starting with a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol that’s punchy and economical. A larger 1.5-litre sits above it in the range, but the 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel really steals the show for fuel efficiency. It's claimed to achieve over 62.8mpg and its low CO2 emissions of 90g/km mean it stacks up well as a company car. Private buyers who primarily make infrequent, short journeys might find the smallest 1.0-litre petrol with a six-speed manual gearbox the best fit but the seven-speed CVT automatic could be a better option if you spend a lot of time on the motorway.
Honda has worked hard on the way the 10th-generation Honda Civic drives and even entry-level version is fun, if a little noisier than some rivals. Looks are entirely subjective, but we reckon the Honda Civic is rather eye-catching, particularly when you see one on the road. Look closer and you'll find the build quality is excellent as far as the exterior and interior goes, with some attractive finishes and soft-touch materials that help justify the Honda Civic’s price.
The Honda Civic is loaded with advanced safety features including adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking. It only received four stars following independent Euro NCAP crash-testing in July 2017, but has since been updated by Honda and re-tested, with cars built from September 2017 getting the full five stars.