With more load volume than the Mazda 6, Peugeot 508, Opel Insignia and even the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the all-new Honda Civic Tourer is hitting the ground running in other ways too with stylish looks and low running costs. Sharing the same design lines of the latest Civic 5-door, but a little longer by 255 mm, the new 5-door Estate has a longer overhang and the glazed area at the rear quarter section has been extended to cover the body work of the D-pillar while the rear door line has been raised by 17mm.
Its sleek lines hides impressive space inside for large loads, enhanced by the multi-folding ‘Honda Magic Seat’ layout. With the rear seats up it offers 624 litres of boot volume and with all seats down, up to 1668 litres is offered, that tops the Citroën CS, Audi A4 and Volvo V60 as well as the aforementioned. Interior headroom has improved too for rear passengers thanks to the extended roofline. There is also an under-floor compartment in the boot area and there is a storage slot for the tonneau cover.
Seats up, only the Skoda Superb Combi beats the Civic Tourer. The height of the loading lip has been lowered to match the level of the floor to enable ease of loading and unloading. Discreet roof rails are fitted as standard. On the flagship Executive model, a 3-level Active Damper System (shock absorber) on the rear axle enhances the drive, whether loaded or unloaded. Up front, the highly acclaimed 1.6 litre i-DTEC diesel powers the range, joined by a 1.8 litre i-VTEC petrol. The 1.4 i-VTEC petrol is not part of the line-up. The 1.6 i-DTEC delivers 300 Nm of torque, which is plenty of pulling power even though emission levels begin at just 99 g/km up to 103 g/km. The latter refers to the Executive with 17” alloys. Optional on this trim level and the next down the line Sport variant is Honda’s new Advanced Driving Assist System which includes City-Brake Active System, Forward Commission Warning, High Beam Support System, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Information and Cross Traffic Monitor. A combination of cameras and short-range radar technologies help to deliver this high standard of safety for all conditions. Unique interior differences to the current 5-door include white stitching detail on the seats and steering wheel with black buttons featuring on the audio panel and remove switches on the steering wheel while the air vents get chrome surrounds.
Universal Honda, the Honda car distributors in Ireland cites the Skoda Octavia Combi, Hyundai i40 Tourer and Toyota Auris Touring Sport as its main competition for this new Civic estate and is confident that conquest sales can be gained form potential customers in this segment.
Prices start from €25,995 for the 1.6 i-DTEC Comfort with the 1.8 i-VTEC (petrol) comfort €300 less. Topping the range at €32, 795 is the 1.8 i-VTEC Executive Auto.