Mario James, Gleaner Writer

TODAY'S CIVIC has huge shoes to fill. It's a Honda, so it has to be fun to drive. It has to look modern, yet offer the amount of space that its market segment needs. That niche also wants it to be economical, environmentally friendly and comfortable. Like I said, huge shoes to fill.

Most of the criteria outlined were mutually exclusive, not so long ago. But with the advent of CAD/CAM engineering, the lines drawn in the sand have been washed over. The new shape is a cab forward design, yet it does not look like your mother's tote 'em all ... this new shape swoops and swerves, curves and dips like something from an amusement park, but manages not to upset the stomach. It is racy for most, and is a welcome change to the origami-like stuff that is out there in new car land. Sensual stuff this, but I guess it is not for wholesale consumption. Neither was Picasso, actually.

Interior real estate

Just how far they took the shape/space balance was evident in the amount of real estate the interior has. Yours truly by no stretch of the imagination could be called 'svelte', but I ain't no six-footer, and it was hard to get the position needed for aggressive driving. All the same, the seats were comfortable, and the dual-tier digital dash I could read without glasses. Although I would say that in direct sunlight, light reflects from off the dash surround into the upper tier, which houses digital speedo, temp and fuel gauge, and makes it slightly harder to read.

Controls are easy to reach, and the golf-ball-like shifter has excellent feel. The Exi comes with climate control AC, power windows and tilt and telescoping steering, but was shorn of variable intermittent wipers, leather and centre-rear armrest. Its audio system is acceptable; the radio controls are where one would expect them to be.

We drove the smaller-engined variant (1.6 litres) which costs $2.9M and has 125 hp at 6,000 rpm and 113 lb/ft at 4000. The 16-valver's static compression ratio is 10.5 :1; even this little four-banger has i-VTEC, which comes in without drama at about 4,000 rpm. The R16 engine is quite willing and in the best Honda tradition, just loves to rpm. Redline has been limited to just under 7,000 rpm, I guess, for emissions and fuel economy. Brakes are power assisted with ventilated front and solid rear discs having nearly the same diameter (262mm front, 260 mm rear).

Driving 'civilly' through the town showed just how good the engineers were. With its 3.142 first gear, the four-speed automatic is a perfect match for the engine's lack of low-down grunt, working in concert with the 4.44 final ratio to catapult the car off the line with authority. Civic's ride is a well-seasoned blend between comfort and sportiness, with the control link McPherson strut front and wishbone rear soaking up the road ruts effectively and without undue noise. Mounting Red Hills proved that the engine/tranny lash up was no fluke; the combo pulled strongly from 4000 rpm and still remained throttle sensitive in the upper rev ranges. Going through to Rock Hall and coming down via Parkes Road revealed the fun to drive element as Civic remained flat through the hairpins displaying neutral to understeering balance characteristics. Power could be applied or subtracted during transient manoeuvres without any surprises, even at the apex of corners. It is about as close to being 'unspinnable' as one can get.

With all this driving uphill and dale, mileage was a concern. But here the R16 surprised us, using an estimated nine litres of fuel for our 120 km trip, which works out to about 8 litres per 100 km. Factor in the extreme hill conditions on our route and that is a stellar figure. So go on, 2009 Civic EXi. Wear that Honda badge with pride!

i>mario.james@gleanerjm.com