After all, the bulk of the Civic hatch’s differences to the sedan lie behind the B-pillar. Both Civic hatch and sedan are now built in Thailand and based on the same underpinnings with the same engines and near-identical specifications – the only difference lies in the number of doors and the size of the boot.Īnd speaking of which, let’s start off by looking at the Civic’s rump. It’s only now, with the arrival of the tenth-generation Civic hatchback, that both four- and five-door models are properly aligned with each other.Īnd that’s a good thing, because now it means those shopping for a Civic don’t have to endure any kind of penalty for picking a certain bodystyle. The ninth-generation Civic hatch partially corrected the pricing issue, but it was still only related to the sedan in name only. Yes, European design and build quality worked in its favour, but $30k-plus pricetags did not. When sourcing switched to the UK for the eighth-generation Civic hatch, prices skyrocketed and put the hatch out of kilter with its Thai-sourced sedan counterpart. In recent times, however, Honda’s five-door fortunes have waned. The humble five-door hatch is still a fixture of many Aussie driveways, and the Honda Civic has a significant history in this country as one of the premier small cars. MINUS: AEB only available on top grade, no more magic seats, CVT doesn’t do the engine or chassis justice THE WHEELS REVIEWĮven though buyers continue their seemingly inexorable migration to SUVs, Australian motorists still have plenty of love for small cars – hatchbacks, more specifically. PLUS:Excellent steering, spacious interior, pricing consistency with the sedan, great handling and ride comfort The arrival of Honda’s still-fresh 1.5-litre turbo engine to the Civic hatch is also welcome, though the soggy CVT saps some of that powertrain’s verve. Just like its sedan-shaped sibling, the new Honda Civic hatch makes a compelling argument for itself in what is a hotly-contested segment.Ī spacious interior, sharp handling and generous standard specification in upper-spec models all give the new Civic hatch a more premium aura than before. Hyundai i30, Toyota Corolla, Mazda 3, Holden Astra, Renault Megane, Subaru Impreza, Peugeot 308, Volkswagen Golf THE WHEELS VERDICT Does it add anything to what’s already offered by the Civic sedan? MAIN RIVALS It’s the bodystyle that most Civic shoppers are interested in, and thus the one that we’re more interested in evaluating. The Civic hatch has historically been the volume-seller in the Civic family, and with the Australian small car market skewing toward five-doors rather than four-doors, the new Civic hatch has significant commercial importance for Honda.
Mechanically identical and built in the same factory, Australian Civic hatches and sedans are practically line-ball when it comes to equipment, prices, quality and driveability. Based on Jazz underpinnings and built in the UK, it was literally a world apart from its Thai-sourced sedan contemporary.īut now, in its tenth-generation, the Civic range is back to consistency. For the past two generations, the Honda Civic hatch has been more of a half-brother to the Civic sedan than a direct relative.
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