Honda raises the curtain on 2010 Civic upgrade
BY RON HAMMERTON | 5th Jan 2010
All other Civic models – including the British-made Civic Si and Type R hatch models – already have the life-saving device which is becoming more commonplace on mainstream cars as manufacturers strive for maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating.
The Civic sedan was judged a four-star performer when it was tested by ANCAP after the current model was introduced in 2006. Several rivals such as the Ford Focus, Mazda3, Mitsubishi Lancer, Subaru Impreza, VW Golf and Holden Cruze have all subsequently scored five stars, although not all of them have full curtain airbags.
It is the second safety upgrade for the Honda small car, which gained ESC – or Vehicle Stability Assist, as Honda calls it – in February 2009.
Other minor upgrades for 2010 include two new colours – Dyno Blue and Habenera Red. The latter was introduced on the City.
As well, the Civic VTi-L sedan gets a new 10-spoke alloy wheel design.
Prices remain unchanged for the Civic sedan range, which is imported duty free from Thailand under the free-trade agreement and therefore not affected by the January 1 import tariff reduction.
The 1.8-litre Civic VTi manual is $22,990 (plus statutory and government charges), with metallic paint $475 extra and a $2300 premium for the five-speed automatic transmission.