Honda Civic Saloon Review

Caroline drives the Honda Civic Sedan.

Many Honda enthusiasts will be delighted to hear that a saloon version of Honda’s well-known compact car has now arrived in Ireland. Based on the tenth generation of the Civic that launched in Ireland in 2017, the Civic Sedan, as it is officially known, goes on sale here priced from €24,750.

That’s just a €1000 premium over the equivalent hatchback and the four door Civic Sedan is arguably a ‘grander’ alternative to the Civic Hatchback, with more physical presence from that carefully designed elongated rear end. In fact, the size and shape of this vehicle surely makes it a worthy successor to the Accord, which is no longer sold here.

Mature elegance in the Honda Civic Sedan

Thankfully, the Civic’s fantastic recipe of quality, refinement and driving fun has not been diluted in the saloon version. When you sit into the Civic Sedan you are met with the same mature looking dashboard design. From the driver’s seat, the Civic gives the impression of being behind the wheel of a larger machine. It’s very spacious in the rear with two large footwells and the boot in the saloon comes in at 519 litres, which is 41 litres more than the Civic Hatchback.

In Ireland, the Civic Sedan comes in three trims: Smart, Smart Plus and Premium. The Honda Sensing suite of safety equipment comes as standard including adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, lane keep assist and traffic sign recognition. The popular Smart Plus model (from €27,250) gets features such as 17” alloys, Honda Connect with 7” touchscreen, rear parking camera, parking sensors, dual zone air conditioning, and leather steering wheel.

The Premium model on test (from €31,150) had a blind spot monitor, keyless entry and start, full leather interior, heated front seats, sunroof and premium audio system with 10 speakers.

What engine options are available?

The Honda Civic Sedan is available in Ireland with a 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine with 126hp or the 1.6-litre diesel with 120hp. A six speed manual gearbox comes as standard, while there is also the option of an automatic gearbox.

My test car was the 1.6-litre diesel and it is a very efficient unit with motor tax of just €180 per year and my fuel consumption over a week of driving was 5.2 litres.

On the road in the Honda Civic Sedan

The diesel engine also happens to suit the Civic Sedan very well. There’s loads of flexibility and power and the engine is refined and never gets too raucous. As we’ve noted in previous variants of the new Civic, the ride and handling of this generation is superb, with the car being both comfortable and fun to drive. The steering is direct and nicely weighted and the Civic goes around corners with aplomb.

The Honda Civic Sedan, especially in diesel form as it is tested here, is very easy to recommend. In Sedan form, the Civic gains an air of grandeur with the presence and style of a larger car. Once inside, it’s the quality, space and refinement of the Civic Sedan that seals the deal. I have no problem saying that the Honda Civic is still one of the best cars launched in Ireland in the last 18 months!

Caroline Kidd

Model tested: Honda Civic Sedan 1.6 i-DTEC Premium
Price: €32,950 (Sedan range from €24,750)
Engine: 1.6-litre turbo diesel
Power: 120 hp
Torque: 300 Nm
0-100km/h:  10 seconds
Top speed: 201 km/h
Economy: 3.4l/100km
CO2 emissions: 91 g/km
Motor tax: €180 per year