Ninth-generation Civic takes center stage
FOLLOWING the much-awaited launch of its City sedan last month, Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI), sprang another surprise on the Philippine automotive market when it launched its all-new Civic yesterday at the Bonifacio Global City.
Many of those who witnessed the launch couldn’t help but feel the excitement brought about by the product’s unveiling and even more were in agreement that it was only apt that the latest Civic is serving notice to all and sundry that HCPI is truly back on track and re-establishing its presence in the industry.
Few will dare to disagree that the Civic is still Honda’s most popular model to date. Even history will show that the first Civic, which was introduced in 1973, immediately received a warm welcome from car enthusiasts all over the world. It was, thus, inevitable that succeeding models would achieve iconic status not only because of their avant-garde design but also their cutting-edge technology. Nine generations later, the all-new Civic is keeping the tradition alive.
Honda says that the latest Civic design is based on several tenets, i.e., fun-to-drive and fuel-efficient performance, clean and energetic styling, and smart technology interface.
The vehicle’s body has been made more rigid and light, its suspension has been tweaked for livelier handling and its resistance to noise, vibration and harshness has been further enhanced. The all-new Civic has also been fitted with Eco Assist technology, consisting of the Econ mode, which controls the drive-by-wire feature, transmission and air-conditioning as well as an Eco coaching ambient meter that measures throttle input and displays a blue light on the instrument panel when fuel efficiency is not optimized and a green light when the driver is operating the car efficiently—all of which help the driver extract maximum fuel economy from the already thrifty 1.8-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder gasoline engine mated to a five-speed automatic tranny that produces 141 ps of maximum power at 6,500 rpm and maximum torque of 17.7 kg-m at 4,300 rpm.
As can be expected from any Civic, the current model’s design is sleek and sporty. Aggressiveness is certainly not lacking in the vehicle thanks to projector-type halogen headlights, front fog lights and 16" alloy wheels.
For the first time, Honda has included a five-inch color LCD intelligent multi-information display or i-MID as part of the vehicle’s amenities. The monitor displays audio and fuel consumption information and provides an interface for the driver to adjust the car’s light settings.
Door mirror-mounted side turn lights, rear reverse camera (displayed in the i-MID screen), integrated audio system with CD/MP3/WMA player; USB connectivity and auxiliary plug, six speakers (including tweeters), steering-wheel controls (for i-MID and audio system), cruise controls (steering wheel mounted), Bluetooth hands-free telephone function (steering wheel integrated), 60:40 split-folding rear seats, manually adjustable headlight leveling switch, leather steering wheel and beige interior fabric round out the vehicle’s list of features.
Safety-conscious owners will appreciate the G-CON (G-Force Control) collision safety technology, dual SRS airbags, ABS with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), which come standard on the all-new Civic, which is available in Carnelian Red (new color), Urban Titanium, Taffeta White, Crystal Black and at a suggested retail price of P1.074 million. Visit Honda for more information.
Launch Ceremony
//youtu.be/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIrFe8JofbY&feature=youtu.be
MAZA NHN AYA HONDA WALOOO 
