Civic sedan has the same overall length (4450mm) and wheelbase (2620mm) as the model it replaced, while height is up 50mm to 1440mm to increase headroom

More interior room has resulted from a short-nose design and compact engine and suspension arrangements

Rear seat sedan passengers gain 65mm of legroom compared to the previous model

The seats are larger than the previous generation to provide additional comfort for all occupants, front and rear

The seat cushions are boosted by 25mm - particularly in the hip area - to improve overall comfort and support.

The instruments and gauges are larger than the previous Civic to improve visibility

A four-speaker single-slot CD radio stereo system is standard

A speaker is housed in each front door, and two can be found in the rear parcel shelf

The steering wheel is height adjustable

Power windows and mirrors are standard fare

The cabin features more user-friendly touches such as illuminated switches

While the gearshift is mounted on the dash fascia in the five-door hatch, the sedan's is in a more traditional position on the floor

Air-conditioning is optional on the sedan, standard on the five-door hatch

The Civic sedan has 14x5.5JJ steel wheels fitted standard

Tyre size is 185/70 R14 88H

The new underfloor design of Gen VII Civic improves the sedan's boot space by an additional 38 litres in capacity, now 450 litres

The rear seat split-folds 60/40

Both sedan and hatch use a temporary spare tyre to maximise luggage space

Honda claims greater body rigidity, new engine mounts and a variety of insulation measures have translated to significant NVH improvements

Three-point seatbelts are provided for all seating positions

Head restraints are restricted to front passengers only

Dual front airbags are standard

Remote central locking is standard on both sedan and hatch models

The engine is seven per cent smaller than the outgoing 1.6-litre engine and 11 per cent lighter, to improve fuel efficiency

The sedan develops 88kW at 6200rpm and 150Nm of torque at 4800rpm

The adoption of front struts rather than a double wishbone design has allowed dimensions to be reduced by 56mm longitudinally

The double wishbone rear suspension requires less space because there is no trailing arm alongside the fuel tank

The sedan gear lever is mounted on the floor, while the hatch has it mounted on the dash fascia to allow a walk-through from the front seats to the rear

The automatic transmission features a torque converter lock-up which is operational over a broader speed range, aiding fuel economy by roughly 3 per cent

Power-assisted disc brakes all-round are standard on both sedan and five-door hatch

Sedan uses a power-assisted rack and pinion steering system

The sedan's steering ratio has been altered from 17.5:1 to a quicker 14.5:1 for a more nimble steering response

The sedan also uses a variable load power steering pump that is more efficient than a conventional power steering pump