2017 Honda Civic 1.6 debuts in UAE and GCC

Honda has launched a base variant of the 2017 Civic with an all-new 1.6L engine. To be offered in the GCC, Lebanon and Jordan, the 1.6-litre Honda Civic comes in two grades, namely DX and LX, and clearly aims to grab some market share from significantly-cheaper rivals. The 2016 Civic which was launched in April this year in 2.0-litre n/a and 1.5-litre turbo forms, leading to an 86% increase in yearly Civic sales at a time when every other compact sedan has seen crashing sales due to the economic slowdown.

In terms of exterior styling, Civic 1.6-litre looks the same as the existing 2.0-litre Civic range. Some of the standard features include LED running lights and LED taillights, power side mirrors with integrated LED turn signals and a chrome grille. The LX additionally gets halogen foglights and 16-inch alloy wheels.

The base Civic’s interior is also not hugely different from its pricier siblings, aside from a smaller 5-inch screen and a proper volume knob (which is missing in higher models due to their larger screens). The 1.6-litre Civic also offers auto air-conditioning, rear vents in LX grade, steering wheel-mounted controls and USB ports. Some standard features in all grades include 60:40 fold-down rear seats, rear-seat armrest with cup-holders, sun-visor extension mechanism and a map light.

Convenience features in the LX grade include smart keyless entry and start, rear parking sensors and remote engine starter. All grades have electric power steering, auto headlight-off timer, cruise control and an electric parking brake with brake-hold function.

Powering the base Civic is the new SOHC i-VTEC engine producing 123 hp at 6500 rpm and 151 Nm of torque at 4300 rpm. The engine is mated to a new CVT automatic. The Civic’s new CVT has a taller final gear ratio for fuel-efficient low-rpm cruising.

Safety features include 2 airbags, ESP, ABS with EBD, hill-start assist, tyre-pressure monitor and emergency-stop signal.

For UAE prices and specs, visit the Honda buyer guide.