By Ian Strachan.
The excellent Honda Civic is one of those cars which seems to have been around forever. It is now on its 12th generation and just keeps getting better.
The Civic is still picking up awards, even after all these years. It has just picked up the What Car? award for best family car 2026.
No surprise really. The Civic is spacious and practical but still enjoyable to drive. It’s available as a full hybrid, which means you can run it on electric power only for a limited range. When the 2.0 litre petrol engine kicks in, braking energy is fed back into the battery.
I test drove the Civic in eHEV Advance spec, which combines comfort with an enjoyable driving experience. The latest upgrade includes some external design tweaks and subtle changes to the interior.
Combined electric and petrol, you get 143ps of power and an impressive range of 521 miles. You can expect more than 56 miles to the gallon in mixed driving, with an 0-60mph time of less than eight seconds.
The latest Civic retains the range’s good looks. It has plenty of legroom front and back and an impressive 409 litres of boot space which can be increased to 1187 litres with the rear seats down.
The Civic’s distinctive side-on view is enhanced with attractive 18-inch two-tone black and grey alloy wheels.
The inside of the Civic in the Advance specification which I tested is attractive and airy with a well laid out cockpit and comfortable electrically adjustable and heated seats. seats.
On the road the Civic, with a CVT automatic gearbox, is unruffled throughout. The engine never sounds or feels under pressure and delivers power exactly when you want it.
Ride and handling are exceptional, with crisp and positive steering response and nicely damped suspension to give a smooth ride. The Honda’s grip on the road is never uncertain, even when cornering at speed.
Equipment levels on the Advance are excellent, with a good sound system, a 10.2 inch touchscreen for sound and satnav, dual-zone climate control, electric windows and mirrors all round, adaptive cruise control, adaptive automatic headlights, front and rear parking sensors with rear camera, and a wireless phone-charging plate.
You also get steering wheel mounted controls, heated steering wheel, a range of active safety aids including lane keeping assist and cross traffic monitor, rain sensing window wipers and remote keyless entry with push button start.
This is an easy car to like – particularly with its good looks and practicality – and I was sorry to see it go. The Civic eHEV Advance 2.0 with CVT comes at £38,695 on the road. My test car had Seabed Blue Pearl paint at an extra £700.
