HONDA must seem crazy pitching a mainstream five-door hatchback against long-established chi-chi small-car luminaries such as the BMW 1 Series, Audi A3 and up-spec VW Golf. And the Civic Si hatch – for all its striking design and packaging solutions – does seem expensive against the premium Europeans. But Honda has always engineered its evergreen Civic to a standard that has always felt a cut above the everyday runabout, and the English-built Si – from $38,990 – does have plenty of standard features included. So how does the Civic ‘Euro’ rate?
Civic Hatch
Released: October 2000
Ended: January 2006
Family Tree: CivicTHE first ‘European’ Civic hatch to be imported into Australia may have been partly designed and engineered in England, but it was actually built in Japan alongside the earlier versions of its four-door sedan sibling, meaning competitive pricing and outstanding quality. The EP Vi and VTi five-door hatch – the seventh-generation Civic since 1972 – was almost minivan in its interior space and overall proportions, losing the previous Civic’s coupe-ish styling for practicality and easy access. But it was also a hoot to drive, thanks to a punchy yet parsimonious 96kW/155kW 1.7-litre four-cylinder VTEC petrol engine, mated to a sweet-shifting five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearbox. ABS was standardised from early 2002, while a minor facelift saw this fine front-drive family hatch out until the sedan-only Mk8 Civic arrived in early 2006.
Road Test
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