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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 20 AUGUST 2017 26 Motoring THE new Honda Civic is 136mm longer, 30mm wider, and 20mm lower, than the previous model. With a wheelbase within millim- eters of being the longest in the class, the new all-steel chassis gives it a lighter but stiffer body than before. In a project first launched in 1972, Honda has now delivered a sleeker car thanks to a longer, lower and wider design. One of the main reasons for this is the moving of the fuel tank from under the front seats to below the fixed rear cushion. This has taken away the Civic's tradition- al footwell-to ceiling load space but in return has made available more rear passengers foot space. The 2017 Civic is available in no fewer than seven different trims and with a choice of two petrol engines. Another aspect of the Civic's evolution is its new top notch multi-link rear sus- pension and adaptive dampers – but more about that later. The exterior lines of the 2017 Civic come together at aggres- sive angles, giving the car its sporty yet non-offensive stance. Front and rear ends are ruled by pentagonal grilles while low windowsills give the driver very good visibility. But as with all its predeces- sors, the Civic's eye candy does not start and stop with the car's exterior. The interior is spacious and offers plenty of storage space, whilst still finished in modern and practical trims. The most ingenious space spec of the Civic is the centre console, which can only be compared to the bag of Mary Poppins. This console is full of removable bins and cup holders that allow owners to modify the space to their needs. Large door pockets, an area in front of the of the gear lever, and a shelf below the dash are only some of the myriad of storage points found in the Civic's cabin. The topside of the dashboard is covered with soft-touch plas- tics, while two USB ports and a 12-volt outlet can be found in the front compartment. The Civic's 7.0-inch touch- screen infotainment system includes navigation by Garmin, SiriusXM satellite radio, two USB sockets and one HDMI jack, a DAB tuner, Bluetooth and an eight-speaker setup. It also allows owners to control the car's infotainment system through their mobile phones thanks to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It can also be controlled through the optional HondaLink touchscreen system, which some owners perceive as notoriously complicated to work with. The boot allows for 420 litres capacity, which can expand to 770 litres with the seats down. The 2017 Honda Civic is offered with a choice of three engines all of which derive from Honda's trademark i-VTEC valve timing technology. Honda claims that none of the available engines returns less than 40mpg. The small 1.0ltr engine runs on three cylinders has direct fuel injection and a peak power output of 127bhp. On the other hand, the turbo- charged 1.5-litre four-cylinder unit delivers 180bhp and 177lb ft. Honda claims a 0-62mph time of 8.3sec. The third power plant is a tur- bocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder option. Both turbocharged engines can be married to a six-speed manual transmission or a highly reliable CVT. Sport and Sport Touring hatchbacks with CVT transmission include steering- wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Another impressive feature of the 2017 Civic is its ride. Being neither too cozy not racetrack hard, it provide just the right stiffness for such a vehicle. This derives from the totally overhauled suspension system. The traditional space-saving torsion beam rear suspension has made way for a multi-link suspension setup and adaptive damping on both axles. The new Civic feels more solid, corner gripping and settled ad speed than ever before. The steering is quick, well- weighted, precise and very re- sponsive, giving instant feedback from the road surface. This is more accentuated on the Sport and Sport Touring hatchbacks. In this reincarnation, the Honda Civic comes in five trim levels: LX, EX, EX-T, EX-L and Touring. There is also an LX-P trim for the Coupe version. In the safety department, the 2017 Civic offers six airbags and a reversing camera that also displays a video feed of the passenger's-side blind spot on the center-stack screen as standard. Having achieved 5-star crash test rating, the Civic comes with ABS brakes which automatically sense when a tire has stopped rotating under extreme braking, and modulates the brake pres- sure to allow the tire to rotate, increasing the vehicles ability to turn while braking; stability control sensing when the vehi- cles handling limits have been exceeded and reduces engine power or applies select brakes to help prevent loss control; and an ignition disable device that pre- vents the engine from starting if the correct original manufac- turer key is not used. The revolutionary 10th- generation Civic has brought about a lot of changes for this model. For the sportier kind, the new turbocharged engine adds flavour and an increased pace on a more stable platform that was not found on previous models. The new Honda Civic can be viewed at the Gasan Zammit showroom in Mriehel. Motoring Reincarnated eye candy In its 10th incarnation the 2017 Honda Civic yet again brings top to toe changes in styling, interior space and mechanics. The 2017 Civic is available in no fewer than seven different trims and with a choice of two petrol engines. All common controls are mounted on or around the steering wheel, including gear pedal shifters on some models