Friday, January 30, 2015

Civic Pride: A Visual History of the Honda Civic

When the Honda Civic splashed down on our shores for the 1973 model year, it might as well have been an alien transport pod. Sporting a transversely mounted engine, front-wheel drive, a fully independent suspension, quirky-cute styling, and room for four, the Honda Civic was everything the current domestic small cars weren't. While models like the Chevrolet Vega and Ford Pinto made their best attempts to downsize Detroit's rear-wheel-drive legacy into smaller, more efficient packages for a nation beset by fuel shortages and a petering economy, Honda simply built the best car it could. Underscoring its underdog status was Honda's humble Although the exteriors were virtually indistinguishable, Honda offered the first-gen Civic as both a three-door hatchback and sedan. The sedan version essentially was exactly like the hatchback, except that the conventional trunklid and fixed rear seat of the sedan were replaced by an upward-hinged rear window and fold-down seat in the hatchback. Wheels were 12-inches in diameter, and radial tires, A/C, a two-speed automatic transmission, and a rear hatch wiper were the only options. In C/D's review of the 1973 Civic, we said, In 1974, Honda bumped the Civic's engine up a few cc's for a total of 1237. Horsepower was up by two for a total of 52, which is pretty impressive given the minuscule increase in displacement. The feds got their licks in too, with the new 5-mph bumper mandate requiring Honda to fit beefier units to the Civic. (1975 model pictured) Although Honda managed to sell a respectable 43,119 Civics on 1974, it was the arrival of the CVCC engine in 1975 that established the Japanese maker as credible threat to the old guard. While the majority of automakers begrudgingly fit exhaust catalysts to their vehicles in order to meet the nation's tightening emissions standards, Honda quietly went to work and found a better way. Displacing 1488 cc and producing 53 horsepower, the CVCC (Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion) engine featured a head and fuel-delivery design for cleaner more complete combustion that met the new standards without the need for a catalytic converter and while still running leaded gasoline. A new five-speed manual transmission and wagon body style came on board in '75, and the Civic was ranked number one on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's first list of America's most fuel-efficient cars in 1977. Sales of the Civic topped 100,000 units. This is the 1975 Honda Civic's 1.5-liter CVCC engine. Cute, ain't it? To finish out the decade, Honda bestowed upon the Civic some subtle exterior styling tweaks including a blacked-out grille and new hood vents for 1978. The add-on turn signals remained, but their PepBoys look was toned-down dramatically by moving them to under the bumper. 1979 brought power increases for both engines, the base unit now producing 55 horsepower, and the CVCC unit now making a neck-breaking 63. (1978 Honda Civic GL pictured) By the time second-generation Civic debuted in 1980, Honda had surpassed its status as a niche automaker. With a wheelbase of 88.6-inches for the hatchback (a two-inch increase over the original Civic's Lilliputian 86.6-inch span), the Civic had grown slightly, but was still dwarfed by the domestic competition. Both available engines, a 55-hp 1.3-liter and a 67-hp 1.5-liter, now employed the CVCC design. Base models got a four-speed manual transmission, while DX trims got the five-cog unit; the two-speed automatic returned as an option. (1981 Honda Civic GL pictured) Wagon lovers had few choices to make, as the Civic wagon came in a single trim level on par with the hatchback's DX trim. Stepping up to GL trim brought a tach and clock on the inside, and enhanced trim, radial tires, and a rear window wiper/washer on the outside. To celebrate the final year of second-gen Civic production in 1983, Honda dumped the 1500 GL trim in 1983 and replaced it with the Civic S model. It featured a firmer suspension, a rear stabilizer bar, and 13-inch 165/70 Michelin tires. (1981 Honda Civic GL pictured) In 1984, Arnold was still the Terminator, mullets and neon hues were considered cutting edge fashion, and MTV continued its quest to make radio irrelevant. To celebrate, Honda released an all-new Civic. Available in hatch, sedan, or wagon body styles, the wheelbase grew by five inches, the sedan and wagon now sharing a wheelbase with the Accord and Prelude. The 1.5-liter four-cylinder with three-valve head became standard across the lineup, except in the base three-door hatch, which carried on with the old 1.3-liter unit, and the FE model was scuttled. Sadly, the independent rear suspension was ditched during the makeover for one with a more compact design. (1984 Honda Civic S pictured) The third-generation Civic wagon became known as the In 1986, Honda began building Civics stateside at its facility in central Ohio. An Si hatchback was also offered; we've covered the history of the Civic Si model elsewhere on the site. (1986 Honda Civic sedan pictured) The fourth generation Civic debuted in 1988 sporting a new engine family, airier greenhouses and a softer shape almost completely devoid of the creases that defined the previous two generations. The DX hatchback and sedan, new LX sedan and wagon received the new fuel injected, 92-horsepower, 1.5-liter 16-valve engine, while the base hatch made due with fuel injected 70-horsepower four. Those looking for a little Si action could order the four-wheel drive Civic wagon which came equipped with the same 105-horsepower 16-valve four-holer that motivated the CRX Si. Sitting high atop the Civic lineup, the new for '88 LX sedan offered buyers decadent comforts such as power windows, locks, mirrors, and intermittent wipers. (1988 Honda Civic DX Hatchback pictured.) In addition to a slight increase in wheelbase (the hatch now measuring 98.4-inches compared to the previous gen's 96.5), a control-arm suspension setup, reportedly inspired by Honda's Formula 1 cars, was employed front and rear. (1988 Honda Civic hatchback pictured) Despite being named to our 1988 10Best list, a Honda DX hatch finished second to last in our 1990 brought revised bumpers and taillights, and the EX sedan arrived to knock the LX sedan off the top of Civic mountain. Equipped with the 14-inch wheels, the EX offered all of the LX's accouterments, plus the 105-hp engine from the freshly reintroduced Civic Si. In 1991, the fourth-gen Civic finished its run virtually unchanged. (1991 Honda Civic EX sedan pictured) Packing more trim and engine options than ever, the fifth-generation Civic approached model's 20th anniversary with a hint of order-sheet price creep that its earlier offerings so efficiently avoided. Among the trim levels for the hatchback: CX, DX, VX, and Si. The CX got a 70-hp 1.5-liter four; the VX a 92-hp 1.5-liter with variable valve timing (VTEC-E) optimized for fuel savings; the DX a 102-hp 1.5-liter; and the Si a 125-hp VTEC engine. A driver's-side front airbag became standard, the wagon was dropped, and sedans came in the familiar DX, LX, and EX trim levels, the latter adding the Si's 125-hp engine and a standard sunroof to its list of niceties. (1992 Honda Civic VX hatchback pictured) The Civic coupe debuted in 1993 (as did the Civic-badged del Sol). Sharing its 103.2-inch wheelbase with the sedan, the coupe came in DX and EX trim levels that mirrored those of the hatchback. The EX coupe, however, upped the ante in terms of optional amenities, adding a one-check package that added a passenger airbag, and a higher-output stereo. (1993 Honda Civic DX coupe pictured) Safety features led the way for 1994 model year, with the Civic receiving a passenger–side front airbag across the lineup. Anti-lock brakes became optional on the top-drawer EX coupe, Si hatchback, and the new-for-'94 LX sedan, which slotted into the lineup between the DX and top dog EX. LX buyers received 14-inch wheels—even in 1993, the DX was still rolling on 13-inchers—power windows, locks, and mirrors, cruise. 1995 marked the end of the line fifth-gen Civic, and it finished out its cycle with minor changes. (1995 Honda Civic sedan pictured) Redesigned for the 1996 model year, the Civic continued its growth pattern, as overall length increased from two to four inches depending on the model. Hatchbacks now had the 103.2-inch wheelbase of the coupes and sedans, but the number of hatch trims was pared down to two—only the CX and DX made the cut. A fully revised 1.6-liter engine that produced 106 horsepower and earned low-emission-vehicle status motivated the CX, DX, and sedan-only LX models. To help fill the hole left by the departure of efficiency-focused VX hatch, Honda added an HX trim to the coupe lineup. Powered by a revised 1.6-liter VTEC-E engine, the HX coupe posted EPA figures of 39 mpg city and 45 mpg highway. Later, Honda would make a CVT transmission available as an option on the HX. (1996 Honda Civic DX hatchback pictured) The entire Civic lineup got 14-inch wheels for 1997; curiously, anti-lock brakes disappeared from the Civic coupe EX's order sheet. 1998 brought the addition of the natural-gas-powered GX, which was sold exclusively to fleet customers. Interior map lights and an exterior handle were the main updates for the hatchback. 1999 saw the arrival of Honda's Not much changed for the regular Civic lineup in the 2000 model year, with only a few new paint options highlighting the final year of production for the fifth-generation Civic. (2000 Honda Civic HX coupe pictured) By the time the redesigned seventh-generation Civic debuted for the 2001 model year, the world had changed dramatically. The internet had taken root, MP3 music files were in steady circulation, and fuel prices, after nearly a decade of uncharacteristic stability would begin to climb in the wake of the events of 9/11. The Civic rode into the new millennium with fresh styling and a new suspension on a virtually unchanged 103.1-inch wheelbase. Out went the Civic's control-arm front suspension, replaced by a strut setup, and the 1.6-liter four got another bump in displacement, now measuring in at 1.7 liters. Producing 117 horsepower in DX and LX trims, Honda massaged an extra 10 from the engine for duty in the EX. (2001 Honda Civic HX pictured) Shifting was handled via a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic; the CVT returned for the natural-gas GX and as an option on the efficiency-focused HX. 2002 brought a revised steering box and slightly modified suspension to address the ride and handling, and the use of sound insulation materials were increased to quiet the cabin noise levels. The 2002 model year also saw the reintroduction of the Si, but as an exclusive three-door hatchback model. (2001 Honda Civic EX Interior pictured) In 2003, Honda released the Civic hybrid to the U.S. market powered by an 85-hp, 1.3-liter four mated to a 13-hp electric motor sandwiched between the gas engine and the transmission. The combo employed a number of efficiency tricks including engine stop-start, cylinder deactivation, and low-rolling-resistance tires, among others, to earn an rating of 46 mpg in the city and 51 mpg on the highway. It was the first vehicle sold here to be certified as an Advanced Technology Partial Zero-Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV) from the California Air Resources Board. Honda loyalists gleefully pointed out that the 1995 Civic VX returned 48/55 mpg in the same tests. (2003 Honda Civic hybrid pictured) Even more sound deadening materials arrived for 2004, as did new stereo speakers to take advantage of the ostensibly quieter cabin. Hybrid drivers got more comfortable thanks to a height-adjustable seat. To finish out the run, in 2005 Honda created an SE model featuring aluminum wheels, a spoiler, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel; the Special Edition package was revamped for both the sedan and coupe, offering an upgraded stereo with MP3 capability and a six-disc CD changer. (2004 Honda Civic sedan pictured) After years of unadventurous and logical updates, Honda veered off the beaten path with the introduction of the eighth-generation Civic. Fresh and funky—for a Civic, anyway—the short hood and steeply raked and expansive windshield yielded to a more traditional profile and rear flanks. The Si model returned to the fold as a coupe, too. (2006 Honda Civic sedan pictured) Special mention goes to the secondary instrument panel, which rests above the traditional instruments; squint hard enough and it resembles an entrance to an underground hut in a Tolkien story. (2006 Honda Civic coupe Interior pictured) Available as both a sedan and a coupe, the trim hierarchy carried over for 2006, with the DX, LX, and EX all being powered by the same 140-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder i-VTEC engine mated to either a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission. The Civic Si got a 197-hp 2.0-liter engine, a sport suspension, a six-speed manual, and a limited-slip differential. (2006 Honda Civic coupe pictured) The natural-gas GX also returned for 2006 (it first appeared in 1998 as a fleet vehicle), this time packing a 1.8-liter engine mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. The only CNG-powered vehicle available to new-car buyers at the time, we had trouble wrapping our heads around the logic of paying $25,185 for the Civic GX sedan when a base Civic DX could be had for $16,405. Heavier, slower, and featuring less usable trunk space, the GX burned clean but at a hefty price. The Civic hybrid returned too, this time earning city and highway EPA ratings that both stood at 50 mpg. (2006 Honda Civic hybrid powertrain pictured) The first-ever Civic Si sedan arrived for 2007, while in 2008 leather upholstery appeared on the order sheet for the first time in the model's history. To commemorate the inclusion of animal hides, Honda introduced the EX-L trim level to the Civic. 2008 also saw the release of the limited-production Mugen Si sedan. Appearing as a concept, the ninth-generation Civic made its public debut at the 2011 Detroit auto show. Although technically a prototype, Honda's usual practice is to preview its latest models as near-production concepts to keep the car-buying public's attention as long as possible. (Honda Civic concept pictured) When the final production Civic hit the streets, it was almost 100 percent faithful to the concept. (2012 Honda Civic pictured) When we got our hands on a pair of 2012 Civic's (coupe and sedan) in April of 2011, we were a little underwhelmed. At the time, we noted how the styling updates—a longer hood, sculpted bumper, and larger taillamps— Aware of its transgressions and eager to restore the Civic to its place at the top of the compact-car heap, Honda made quick reparations for the 2013 model year. The suspension was massaged with thicker anti-roll bars (up 0.9 inch in front and 0.2 inch at the rear), stiffer springs (by 15 percent in the front and 18 percent at the rear), and retuned dampers. At the time, we called the effects, The 2015 Honda Civic offers arguably the widest array of configurations and options in its 40-plus-year history in the U.S. The coupe is available in LX, EX, and EX-L trims with five-speed manual transmissions and CVTs; Si trims get a six-speed manual. Sedans come in LX, SE, EX, EX-L, and Si iterations, while also adding a fuel-miser HF model for good measure. Hybrid and CNG Civics come in the sedan body style. While the specifics of the long-term future of transportation are far from clear, it's a safe bet that as long as Honda is in the business of moving people efficiently, it'll have a Civic to sell. (2014 Honda Civic HF pictured)

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