Honda has finally unveiled the 11th-generation Civic and the exciting 5-door model is the first hatchback Civic to be manufactured in Japan since the 7th-generation. The company tells us the new model has not only evolved in design, but also in its driving performance.

The concept of being an exhilarating car still lives on

Honda’s latest Civic, officially unveiled in August 2021, has become a trend among car enthusiasts. Unfortunately, some haters criticize the cars as being “overly priced” “too bulky”, saying that the new model is not the Civic they used to love anymore.

And we always hear these kinds of arguments whenever a model with such a long history introduces a new model. Those people, people who don’t even try to buy one, always start with “Those were the good old days” to tell others the new generation is simply not their style. Well, it’s time to stop that.

In fact, the Civic was truly a versatile basic car until the 6th-generation. And when Honda introduced the 7th-generation model in 2000, that position was inherited by the Fit (or Jazz in some markets). What the then-new Civic became was a completely new compact for the global market.

It can’t be denied that the company simply failed to advertise that part. Also, it’s true that the Civic brand was treated poorly from the 8th-generation in its home country. However, the 10th-generation, introduced in 2017, was able to gain a certain level of popularity in Japan.

The reason for this is because the position of the basic model had become more clear because of the outstanding performance of the Type R model. It simply became easier for the buyers to realize the difference between those models.

While the latest generation also follows this, Honda took a straightforward approach, asking themselves what kind of a car a Civic will be for the new age.

The company came up with an answer; a car that is brisk and soothing. But what’s a car that’s soothing enough to satisfy its passengers? To find out, we drove the new model ahead of its official launch.

As you can see, the exterior design is more like a coupe-style rather than a stereotypical 5-door hatchback. Its wide and low styling is even more emphasized than its predecessor while appealing to a more simple and clean design.

I personally feel that the front could be a little thinner to give it more of a Civic feel but the optional rear wing helps out to balance the overall styling. It’s a must-have for those who want the atmosphere of an older generation.

The interior is even more impressive than the exterior. A noiseless horizontal design combined with simple controls is the latest trend for Honda. But while the Civic adopts that trend, it also has that sporty feel around the cockpit. In particular, the design around the center console and the unified tactile feel of the controls emphasize the model’s unique world of being simple yet sporty.

But on the other hand, the lowest EX trim has that clunky feel with its typical red-and-black interior, which is one thing Honda could improve.