[volkman10]

Honda Civic makes a stellar comeback in the Indian market.

Though the March numbers indicate mostly dispatches to dealers it is still a commendable number also considering the bookings it has generated.

The model takes Honda to a striking distance eyeing the 4th position in the monthly sales chart.

[tarik.arora]

Originally Posted by volkman10

Though the March numbers indicate mostly dispatches to dealers it is still a commendable number also considering the bookings it has generated.

Attachment 1864805

A quick internet search reveals that Honda has around 230-280 dealers in India (different sources quoting different numbers). Even if we assume 2-3 cars per dealer as display and test drive cars, around 700 cars will be earmarked for this. Which means that remaining 1,500 cars are for stock and customer deliveries. Now this is a huge number for a car of this segment. I think Honda has nailed it this time.

The numbers will definitely settle in the next 2-3 months but around 800-1000 units/month are still manageable. This in itself is a big number. I am out of words on this

[urajkumar]

Originally Posted by volkman10

Honda Civic makes a stellar comeback in the Indian market.

Though the March numbers indicate mostly dispatches to dealers it is still a commendable number also considering the bookings it has generated.

The model takes Honda to a striking distance eyeing the 4th position in the monthly sales chart.

Attachment 1864805

WOW! That they built and delivered so many cars shows their confidence & ability to produce cars in such short notice. It also helps i presume from SVP video that Honda plant does not manufacture Amaze thereby giving free capacity for Civic. This could also be because of the old civic owners who upgraded but i think it should settle around 300 to 400 cars after the initial spurt is my prediction which will still be highest in the class.

I really like the Civic and if everything goes by plan, i should have one by Sep. My only grouse remains the poor rear space and lack of exciting color options like the gorgeous Blue / Red (I saw many in Singapore last week ). I am still hoping Honda launches some special editions this year with better color choices.

[avisidhu]

Originally Posted by tarik.arora

....
The numbers will definitely settle in the next 2-3 months but around 800-1000 units/month are still manageable. This in itself is a big number. I am out of words on this

Indeed if Honda manages to pull these numbers, it would be a case of success no one (not probably even Honda) imagined. Even more incredible given that there are no ground breaking changes in terms of Engine etc.

One possible reason could be that the reign of Civic on Indian roads coincided with the peak of Honda as a brand. And most owners still swear by it, with only GC being a major grouse. (Engine mounts also yes, but that discussion is limited to technical forums). Lot of people who would ogle at the Civic during their 20s can now afford to buy one, and sheer nostalgia might be driving the sales initially.

For the sheer sake of spotting beautiful looking sedans on Roads, lets pray Honda is able to sustain this success.

[Redline6800]

Got a test drive in the Civic Petrol CVT today, as a friend wanted to buy a BR-V and I tagged along. The test drive Civic was available so went for a short test drive.





At just over 6 feet and approx 88 kg, I found the rear seat to be very comfortable despite the low seating. As the pics show, legroom was excellent despite the seat in front of me at max rear position by SA.







No audio rear audio controls or USB ports must be considered as a miss. Air con excellent as usual and quiet too.

Legroom was superior to my pre-worshipped 2013 Jetta. But I felt the Jetta has better noise insulation. Interior quality wise, I found both cars to be the same.

The driving experience was a hit and a miss. The sporty driving position, lane watch system and engine refinement felt great. In fact in peak traffic the car feels very very smooth. The suspension was excellent, soaking up BLR's crappy roads but not sure how good it will be at 140 kmph plus.

But, boy does the CVT feel like a kill joy, when one wants to drive faster! Yecch. I know you can learn to drive around the CVT and they are paddle shifters, but if you want stonking performance, you better look elsewhere.

This is the Civic your dad wants.



I have a feeling that sales will tail off after the first 3-6 months. The Civic is certainly very stylish and loaded with features that matter and will likely be very reliable, fuel efficient and low on maintenance. It is certainly a very good car but not a special one (atleast with the 1.8L petrol and CVT). A manual at 20l on-road would have been brilliant but sadly will never happen.

My advice ? Find yourself a good Jetta diesel (they are plenty on TEAM BHP classifieds) and keep aside a few lakhs for maintenance and you will have 85% of the new Civic for half the money

[Mevtec]

Hi all, we got the car today. The experience at the dealership from booking to delivery was very good. The car has been taken to my home town. Will write an honest review later. Hope I will be able to spend some quality time with the car within a month. I drove about 14 km within the city today.





Few points that I have noted

1. AC is very effective.
2. The car seems to have sufficient power.
3. Low seating position is a concern. Especially for the front passenger since the seat is not adjustable for height. Please spend sufficient time with the car before buying. Back seat comfort seems to better than the 4th Gen Honda City.
4. Ride quality is very good.
5. Despite its length the maneuverability and visibility from the driver's seat is very good. I managed to park the car in a tight spot using reverse camera.
6. After 120 km (80% highway) the trip computer shows fuel efficiency of 10.4 km/l
7. Loyalty Bonus - got front corner sensors and leg room lamp as loyalty bonus.

April 1st onwards there is 1% hike in road tax. So the price went up by another Rs 20,000.

Thank you Team-bhp for constant updates.

[2000rpm]

Saw the Civic in Red clothing.

Looked one mean machine. This design is not as timeless, but the car certainly has road presence!

[Abhi_Automobile]

Guys - Can Civic's touch HU be bought as separate entity, either from AliExpress or from another country, where the model is sold? One of my knowns is contemplating buying the V model, and replace the HU later.

No dealer purchase please...

[akshay_b]

Originally Posted by Abhi_Automobile

Guys - Can Civic's touch HU be bought as separate entity, either from AliExpress or from another country, where the model is sold? One of my knowns is contemplating buying the V model, and replace the HU later.

No dealer purchase please...

Yes it is definitely possible. There are a quite a few aftermarket HUs available on AliExpress but I'm sure installing them will void the electrical warranty. The electronics on modern cars are quite complex and an experienced technician should be able to do the job. It's a shame that a car costing 22L has such a basic infotainment system.

[Karooo]

Car looks freaking incredible but why did they skimp out on the engine. Power is underwhelming.

[Abhi_Automobile]

Originally Posted by akshay_b

Yes it is definitely possible. There are a quite a few aftermarket HUs available on AliExpress but I'm sure installing them will void the electrical warranty. The electronics on modern cars are quite complex and an experienced technician should be able to do the job. It's a shame that a car costing 22L has such a basic infotainment system.

I meant the OEM (or the exact replica, just like we have so many VW HU replica units) installing them should be fairly straightforward I feel. Most of the China-cheapo stuff is plug-and-play.

[aaggoswami]

Test Drove Civic Diesel. Refinement is amazing, it never ceased to amaze me as to how much more refined 1.6 diesel can get as compared to 1.5 diesel. Additional insulation has helped in Civic as there wasn't any hint of 1.5 diesel's agrarian clatter that was evident the first time it was housed in City/Amaze. Somehow, driving the Civic reminded me of Baleno 1.6 sedan. Good visibility up front from driver's seat, low seating position overall and perfect driver comfort with cabin being chilled by terrific AC. Ride quality is good with slight hint of firmness at low urban speeds, but its nitpicking I guess. Driveability stands out as expected and as a daily drive, the powertrain is competent.

However once my friend who was accompanying me for the test drive spoke out price the joy of driving Civic came to and end. Cant comprehend a 1.6 diesel with Manual Transmission at given prices. Octavia offers a much better rear seat, a better diesel, an automatic transmission and would be my pick. Civic felt good, but not outstanding except may be the way it looks. Rear headroom is compromised coupled with not so good thigh support; I would expect better from a car of this class. Clearly, except aesthetic appeal, there are better cars to select from. The way Civic appealed to heart back in 2006 isnt the case anymore with current car.

[roadie_swift]

Had a nearly 90-minute long TD with the Civic yesterday, with a most helpful Sales Team (Sainath and Rehan) from Arya Honda.

TL;DR version - While the car is great, it just did not seem like a ~25 Lac car. Especially compared to the Octavia, I just didn't feel that maturity of presence that a car in this segment should have.

Likes -

1. Driver seat position and the cockpit. Absolutely spot on and a delight to sit in.

2. Low-end power. This was much more linear and smooth than the "caged-tiger" feel that the Octy gives you, the wife especially liked it better. Towards the mid however you miss the sheer power on tap compared to the Octavia. Didn't get to test the top end, of course! No comments on the handling either due to the low speeds we drove at.

3. Cabin feels much more modern, one can feel the "new-ness" in the design, and the waterfall that continues right up to the rear seats just gives a great feeling.

4. Build. Not comparing the build quality with the Octy here (different league entirely), but compared to the City which was my previous ride, the build feels much more solid with very little to no 'give' when you press the door sheet metal from the outside. Paint quality and fit and finish is absolutely top notch.

5. The Looks. The profile is absolutely gorgeous to look at, the coupé-like silhouette reeks of class and speed. Frankly it looks faster than it feels, IYKWIM.

6. Ride quality, especially at the back. Very settled, not too much of the road flaws bring transmitted inside to the passengers, no undue sideways or up-down movement while passing patches of broken/uneven roads. The 5'10" passenger sitting in the middle was also comfortable - interestingly, when he got in he complained about the headroom and feared that he might hit his head on to the roof if we were to hit a pothole. But despite numerous potholes, under-repair streets and two (missed) speedbreakers taken at speed, not once did his head touch the roof. Most importantly, my daughter who's unfortunately very sensitive to car sickness, didn't even once complain of feeling uncomfortable despite some spirited driving and frequent braking. I'm pretty sure the ride quality will, if anything, only improve at higher speeds so long highway rides should be totally fatigue-free, even with 4+1 in the car.

7. Ground Clearance. I deliberately took the TD car onto roads near the NNP in Malad, where they compete with the BBMP (Bengaluru) in building mountainous speed-humps. Reason was, this patch was dreaded in our City, and we used to have to nurse her along each monstrous hump. In the Civic, though, no hassles at all. Even with 4 adults and a 12 year old child in the car, we didn't scrape the underbody even once. One of those humps we missed due to the severe light reflection from the dashboard (more on this in the dislikes) , and ended up crossing it at about 40kmph - even then, no scraping, and minimal discomfort inside. Interesting to see Honda hasn't put out a number (mm) of the GC, at least I couldn't find it anywhere. The Sales guy claimed 180mm which I find very hard to believe.

8. Audio quality. Just like the one in the City, this has to be one of the best OEM sound systems around, definitely comparable to the one we tested in the Octavia (not the L&K Canton, the normal one in TSI Style). I have always been too poor to be an audiophile so I'm sure the Gurus will have their own take on this, but it sounded really sweet to me. Tested everything from (explicit) R&B to Indian classical, and it came out with flying colours.

9. Feature list. The Civic (even the VX) comes with a pretty exhaustive feature list, it's got practically everything one could ask for. I only missed the front sensors from the Octy, which Honda is prepared to offer as a loyalty bonus anyway. Frankly the "lane-view camera" and "start your car remotely" look like gimmicks to me, don't see myself using either of them pretty much. But useful things like ability to close the windows from the key fob remote, pinch-free one-touch windows on all four, and customisable TFT HUD were really appreciated. Also the AC is a total chiller, and dual zone climate control is really nice.

Dislikes -

1. Front passenger seat. This is the real "Achilles' Heel" the new Civic. All of us in my family are relatively short people, with me being "tallest" at 5'6". Yet in spite of this, I found that I was sitting in a more or less "knees-up" position while in the front passenger seat. There was no under-thigh support unless I rolled the seat back somewhat, and stretched my legs out. A height-adjustable seat was an absolute must here, and a big miss from Honda. Not sure why even a manual adjustment couldn't have been given here. The seating is lower than a City even, which too would have been ok if only there was a height-adjustment available.

2. Power/Acceleration. I understand that this is perhaps a result of my TDs with the Octavia, and that it is unfair to compare that Monster-Tiger with this Very Tame Pooch. Yet I did feel the car a little underpowered, especially past the 60kmph mark. I also realise that I have driven exclusively manual transmission cars for last 20 years (latest was the fabulously-exciting-to-drive Honda City SMT) - and as a result am unable to draw performance from the CVT. Will wait for the (elusive) official review on TBHP for the Gurus to weigh in on this.

3. Flimsy-ness. While to me, the car seemed very solid in build quality, I am comparing it to the City, which is not really a very high standard in robust build quality. For some reason, everything in the Civic seems to have this flimsy quality - not that anything is likely to imminently break or fall apart, but it just didn't seem as well-put-together as the Octavia (especially considering it is at the exact same price point)! In the words of my wife - "The Octavia seems like a rich man's car. This one seems like just an updated version of our City. But yes, this also feels like home!"

4. Dashboard Reflection on the windshield. This was a perpetual problem in the City, and it very much exists in the Civic. They should really start giving out a pair of polarizing sunglasses for free with every Honda sold.

5. Transmission Tunnel! (Believe it or not.) I'm not sure if it's the transmission or something else, but the central hump on the floor in the Civic is absolutely un-Honda-like, and is most unwelcome. 5th adult passenger sitting in the middle will be uncomfortable within seconds. It's almost like the Civic looked at the Octavia and cried "What's she got that I ain't got????" and the engineers at Honda thought "The Hump"! ����

For some reason, it feels really wierd that I would get so much more-car-per-rupee-spent with the Octavia, rather than in the Civic. Never thought I would feel a Skoda to be more "VFM" than a Honda, ceteris paribus.

But of course there is the factor of Skoda after-sales and the "Dreaded-DSG" vs the bullet-proof reliability of Honda to be considered. I have been spoiled by the "fill it-shut it-forget it" Honda City experience for last 7 years, and am not really sure I'm up to educating myself yet again on DIY OBD port codes and gearbox machinations and negotiations with stingy Skoda showroom seniors.

All in all, the dilemma still stands, but the one thing this Test Drive definitely did, was to throw the Corolla right out of the race! Sorry Toyota!


Cheers,
R_S

[vickyP]

Originally Posted by roadie_swift

=
All in all, the dilemma still stands, but the one thing this Test Drive definitely did, was to throw the Corolla right out of the race! Sorry Toyota!


Cheers,
R_S

Nice quick insights! Thanks for that.
Having test driven the Civic, I do agree to most of all that you pointed out to.

However, just wondering if you have considered the Hyundai Elantra in your shortlist and had a chance to compare it with the Civic? With current offers running, Elantra top end should make great VFM. I havent driven it yet, but the overall reviews are fairly positive to suggest it is a well rounded package.
When I consider myself upgrading from my current drive (Vento TSI) - I would be looking at these cars - Octavia, Civic, Elantra - with Civic being closest to the heart, and Elantra to the mind! (I hate the Elantra facelift though).

Octavia (L&K) though sweetest - is simply out of reach and comes with that tentativeness of the DSG!

[roadie_swift]

Originally Posted by vickyP

Nice quick insights!

Thank you!

No I didn't consider the Elantra on two grounds - one, I do not have the same reverence for Brand Hyundai that I have for Honda et al. Two, the Elantra also, like Corolla, tries to do too many things and spreads itself thin. It started out to be an allrounder, but didn't make it like the Corolla, that's how I feel about it. Hence decided to give it a miss.

Frankly I'm holding my purchase decision, just waiting for GTO/Seniors to publish the Official Review of the Civic.

I need someone to convince me to buy the Civic and get rid of this dark temptation of committing the original sin with the Octavia!

I hope the official review does it.

Cheers,
R_S