Honda Civic Hatchback 2006-2011

The European-market Honda Civic Hatchback was offered as three and five-door hatchbacks and produced in the United Kingdom. It has a different appearance and suspension setup compared to the sedan and coupe Civics.

The exterior of the European model is more aggressively styled; the sweeping front arc is maintained and a perspex cover resembling a lamp cluster replaces the grille. The rear taillights are also similarly styled. Triangular accents are found front and back, with triangular fog lamps in front and dual triangle exhaust tips at the back. The rear glass is split into two levels, divided by a spoiler lip and the fuel filler cap is a race-inspired exposed metal effect cap. For the 5-door models, the rear door is hidden away with the door handles tucked away at the corners of the rear windows, creating the illusion of a two-door coupe.

Inside, the European-market Civic follows the same split-level or “two-tier” instrument panel as the American and JDM Civics. However, it has circular A/C vents and switchgear. There is also a start button reminiscent of the Honda S2000. The handbrake is in a more conventional position behind the gear stick. All around there is a generous use of metallic trim.

The vehicle features a rear seat folding system called the “magic seats”, where rear seat cushions can be raised in part or full width allowing a secure and tall load area. Alternatively, the seatback can be tumbled flat as per a conventional hatch. When it’s in its normal position, a storage room is available under the rear seat. There is also a “hidden” storage compartment in the boot under the floor. The lid, which normally forms part of the boot floor, can be sunk down to a lower level to increase the load area, designed to allow the boot area to accommodate larger or taller items. In the normal position, the storage area can be used to hide valuables away under the floor.

Standard equipment across all trim levels includes single-zone climate control and heated mirrors/rear windscreen. Optional features throughout the range consist of electric folding mirrors, a panoramic glass roof, dual climate control, automatic headlights, automatic dimming rearview mirror, automatic windshield wipers, xenon lights, headlight washers, heated leather seats, alloy wheels, fog lights, and satellite navigation through the center screen.

In March 2008, Honda announced that it was recalling 79,000 eighth-generation Civics due to a potential problem with faulty handbrakes.

Powertrain
Engines include a 1.4-litre i-DSI, 1.4-litre i-VTEC, the 1.8-litre i-VTEC shared with the American and JDM models, and a 2.2-litre i-CTDi N22A2 turbodiesel. A 6-speed manual transmission was available across the range. An automated manual transmission, known as i-SHIFT was available for models with 1.4- and 1.8-litre petrol engines. A 2.0-litre i-VTEC (K20Z4) petrol Type-R high-performance version was also available. Si and the Type-S models were also offered in Europe, with the Type-S in the three-door configuration (as is the more powerful Type-R) and the Si as a five-door, but both going without the 198bhp 2.0L engine used in the North American Si.

2009 facelift
Euro Civics (hatchback) received a mild facelift for 2009. The main visual change is the new redesigned front grille which now features two open intakes. The Type S received a grille similar to the Type R, only without the red badge. The rear bumper was also replaced by a smooth single-piece design from a honeycomb effect plastic trim, minor changes to the interior were also made such as the addition of a 12v socket, iPod connector, and 3.5mm aux input within the armrest storage bay, the plastic trim around the dash changed from a gloss black trim to a matte textured design. The entry-level 1.4 i-DSI engine has been dropped from the line-up and replaced with a new, more powerful 100 PS 1.4 i-VTEC engine which was available with a new version of the i-SHIFT transmission.

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/car-reviews/honda/civic/civic-2010-2011/