Road Test: Honda Civic Sport

Review by Jay Williams - 07/October/2010

Top-of-the-range Honda Civic badged as the 'Sport' receives a number of visual changes and a larger 2.0-litre DOHC i-VTEC engine.

The Honda Civic Sport is easily defined in the range, thanks to the ‘Modulo’ after-market accessories which include a new front bumper, side skirts, rear bumper, rear spoiler and 17-inch alloy wheels.

Priced from $31,990, the Sport is competitively priced and boasts a high level of standard features. But, does the Thai built Civic Sport have the edge on its competition?   

Well we drove the Honda Civic Sport over a course of a week, so lets find out how it rated.

Drive: 3.5/5

Driving the Civic Sport around town, on the highway and just generally cruising along, was a joy. As with every Honda I've driven, gear changes were smooth and made effortless with it's great gearbox design. 

The Civic Sport is also remarkably agile when you're manoeuvring in tight spaces, making sharp turns or parking.

The bigger brother of the VTi and VTi-L is also a great commuter vehicle, the Civic Sport features a cruise control feature, making longer journeys easier when cruising along. All controls are easy to use and reside on the steering wheel.

MacPherson struts at the front and a double wishbone layout at the rear give the Civic Sport a supple ride that is grippy enough for the demanding driver, and soft enough for bumpy roads. However, the suspension is set more for comfort rather than sport, but does do a good job in delivering a well balanced ride.Steering responds swiftly and obediently to the drivers input and remains compliant through turns. 

Engine: 3.5/5

The model we test drove was the top-of-the-range Civic Sport which features a 2.0-litre DOHC i-VTEC, four cylinder, petrol.

The 2.0 litre motor found in the Honda Civic Sport pumps out 114kW of power at 6200rpm and 188Nm of torque. Having driven the 1.8-litre VTi-L which produces 103kW, I must say that the extra 11kW and 14Nm is noticeable.  But, for flat out performance the Honda Civic Type R is the way to go.

Mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox (which is perhaps one the smoothest shifters I have experienced), you soon realise how well the gearbox is matched to the engine. All models offer the choice of an automatic or manual transmission, mated to a five-speed gearbox.

Combined fuel economy is claimed to be 8.3-litres per 100 km, with our Sport 5-speed manual sipping around 9.3-litres per 100km over combined urban/highway driving - but to be honest we weren't exactly driving in the most frugal manner.

Exterior: 3.5/5

The people over at Honda have taken the distinctive one-sweep design and added a stylish ‘Modulo’ after-market body kit and 17-inch rims, that add a sense of aggression to the Civic Sport.

As with the VTi-L, I found the windscreen to be a bit deceiving while parking, because of the sheer angle of the windscreen and the snub nose of the Civic it was impossible to see the front of the car, while this is a minor problem, I found it made shopping centre and underground parking lots a little tricky.

The Civic’s halogen headlights are encased in a smoked chrome surrounding giving the front of the car a touch of class. Fog lights are an optional extra on the VTi and VTi-L models and standard on the Sport.

Modulo 17-inch alloy wheels (a new design introduced in the most recent facelift) look sporty and fill the Civic Sport's wheel arches perfectly and come standard.

Interior: 3.5/5

Sitting in the Civic it's very clear that this interior has been designed for optimal comfort and practicality. The sweeping dash with the large windscreen gives the illusion of space in this relatively small car.

Honda's ergonomic leather seats and multi-tiered dash provide a comfortable and safe driving position. 

The multi-tiered dashboard has a Multiplex instrument panel, the upper part of the instrument panel displays engine temperature to its left and a fuel indicator to the right - and most importantly vehicle speed. By positioning essential information as high on the dashboard as possible minimises driver eye movements between the road and the display for safer motoring. The digital display is also clear and easy to read in most lighting conditions.

Occupying the lower part of the dash is the large rev meter which takes pride of position behind the adjustable multi-functional steering wheel which houses audio and cruise control buttons.

Back-seat space is more than ample by small-car standards, thanks mostly to the flat floor design, back seat passengers have a good amount of leg room. The boot space is also satisfactory providing a total storage volume of 376-litres.

The Civic Sport gains a leather-wrapped sports steering wheel with remote controls for audio and cruise control. The wheel is telescopic and reach adjustable, combining with the height-adjustable drivers’ seat to deliver an optimal driving position for most people.

On the audio front, Civic Sport delivers a six-CD, MP3 compatible system with four speakers. Sport also gets an electric sunroof.

Overall the Civic's interior is good, everything has a purpose and works well, controls are user friendly and the mono tone colour scheme of the cabin create a comfortable environment and the leather seats feel great.

Overall: 4/5

After a week behind the wheel of the Honda Civic Sport we found the small, yet sporty car hard to fault. The 2.0-litre i-VTEC engine provided ample power for some weekend fun, but was still well rounded enough for day-to-day commuting.

Like all Honda's the overall built quality inside and out is amongst the best on the market. Honda has also priced the Civic Sport aggressively and with added extras like the ‘Modulo’ after-market body kit and 17-inch alloy wheels it sure is hard to look past.

In terms of competition buyers should be looking at Mazda’s SP25 sedan, the Mitsubishi Lancer VRX and Subaru’s Impreza RS sedan.