Green Machine

Today’s world demands more from every person. More marks when you’re in school, more fees for better courses, and more work for more pay, so you can have a retirement plan with better benefits. We demand more from our cars as well: more space, more style, more fuel efficiency… The Civic Hybrid offers all these, but asks for more of your money, thanks to Indian law more than doubling its price. Is it worth the extra effort?

The Civic hybrid looks like a conventional Civic at first glance, as the enormous decals proclaiming its motive power aren’t standard issue with the normal car. It’s got the same nose with the same headlamps, the same profile, and it’s got the same tail-lamps. Look closer, though, and you’ll see that the wheels are different, and there’s a tiny little badge at the rear that says “hybrid”. The anoraks among us will also point out that the quality of the paint is superior, there’s a bootlip spoiler and that this car sits lower then a regular Civic. The shape is still much-loved by many, although it is now beginning to show a few lines of age when placed next to its cousins, the Accord and the new City.

The traditional Civic interior remains, with a small difference – to the left of the tachometer lies a digital display that shows the amount of juice in the batteries, and whether your driving is charging them, or making them help you along. The dashboard gives you a sense of space, and might seem odd to first-time Civic drivers, as the base of the windscreen is quite far away. To the rest of them, everything is familiar – the steering wheel with audio control buttons, the center console that tilts towards the driver, the split instrument gauge cluster. This was the car’s talking point when the Civic was launched in India, and the digital speedometer that lies right in the driver’s line of sight still holds a lot of novelty value for most. An addition to the hybrid’s instrument gauge is the battery level gauge and the ‘Assist/Charge’ display to the left of the tachometer. The former shows the driver the level of the charge in the batteries, and the latter indicates if the batteries are being charged or supplementing the petrol engine’s power. All the buttons and switches are within easy reach and are easy to operate while driving. Fit and finish of the plastics is of Honda’s usual high standards – and the exterior paint is worth a second mention for its quality.
There is no dearth of space in the Civic, and the flat floor only adds to the convenience of the middle rear passenger. The rear seat could use a little more under-thigh support, it is inadequate for tall passengers. Getting in and out of the Civic is also not easy for the aged or those with bad backs or knees, since the Hybrid lower than the already-low standard Civic. There are numerous cubbyholes for your things, so you will never have to leave things in your pockets while driving this car. The boot is appreciably large, at 376 litres, the reduction is space compared to the standard Civic's boot space is due to the battery pack packaged behind the rear seats.

Engine
The Civic Hybrid possesses a 1.3-litre i-VTEC mill under its hood that puts out 95bhp and 122Nm. The internal combustion motor drives the front wheels and is assisted (‘Integrated Motor Assist’) by in-hub electric motors which generate the equivalent of 16bhp and drive the rear wheels whenever necessary. Despite the low horsepower figure, the car never feels underpowered thanks to the torque available from the electric motors. We also like the seamless way they help things along while accelerating hard or while going up inclines, and charge whenever the car is coasting or braking. The charge/assist digital gauge makes it a challenge to use the batteries effectively, which automatically makes for smooth driving. The engine shuts off automatically if the car is halted for a while in D with the driver’s foot on the brake, and starts up as soon as the brake is released. Of course, this works as long as the batteries aren’t below a particular level. This is a great way of conserving fuel in our crowded rush-hour traffic in cities. The air-con and audio system still work when the engine is off, and the transition from off to on as the driver takes his foot off the brake is immediate and seamless. What makes it better is the refinement of the engine – there is no perceptible difference between the engine when switched off and when idling. The engine sounds nice when revved, but a lot of the aural pleasure is taken out of the experience by the gearbox, which holds the engine steady at particular revs while it lengthens the gearing. This makes the engine sound like an aircraft – or mixer, if you want to be unkind to it. Either way, it isn’t pleasant after a while.

Drivetrain
Like the automatic variant of the City ZX, the Civic Hybrid transmits its power via a CVT. It has three modes: D, S and L. D keeps the engine spinning as little as possible to conserve fuel, S lets the revs rise higher than D to extract better performance, and L keeps the gearing low for inclines. The electric motors offer maximum torque from zero revs upto their redline, so don’t need a gearbox. The CVT performs well, with the ‘rubber-band’ effect minimised. The response is expectedly better while in S mode, but the CVT has no fake gear ratios engineered into it like some CVT gearboxes do. You have to let the car decide what’s best for you, and that can get very frustrating for an enthusiast. Plant your right foot, and the tacho needle jumps to a high rpm and stays there, unmoving, while the car picks up speed. It’s a strange feeling, and one that we accepted but never really got used to.

Fuel efficiency

Under our harsh test conditions, the Civic Hybrid returned a fuel efficiency of 5kpl. In normal usage, however, we found that it rarely dips below 10kpl, even if driven on highways 80% of the time. It returns its best efficiency in the city, with 12kpl available even with stoplight drags a regular occurrence. A light right foot should offer even more.

Ride at low speeds is slightly stiff, but the steering is light and allows you to make your way through crowded lanes and rush-hour traffic with ease. At high speed, the primary ride comes into play and things feel much better on the ride front. However, when you approach the car’s handling limits, the rear doesn’t feel as tied down as you would like it to be, even with a full complement of passengers. The lowered stance means that it does feel better than the standard Civic at speed, but watch out for bumps – letting them pass under the car while your wheels go around them could easily mean a scraped underbelly. Big speedbreakers get the same amount of respect as a mafia don when you’re in the Civic Hybrid; they inspire just as much fear and caution in the driver.

Braking
The Civic Hybrid increases its efficiency by recharging its batteries under braking. However, keep increasing the force on the middle pedal and the real brakes will come into play to help slow things down. The ‘Assist’ indicator shows how much braking force is helping recharge the batteries, so you can try and extract the maximum out of the regenerative braking system if you keep an eye on that gauge. The transition from regenerative braking from the electric motors to the traditional system is seamless, with no loss of linearity or lack of feel from the pedal. ABS is present to help with panic stops.

Tyres
Goodyear Eagle NCT5s of the size 195/65 R15 are the Civic Hybrid’s contact with the road. They grip well, and are quiet at speed.

Safety
There’s the usual raft of safety features in the Civic Hybrid: ABS and airbags help the occupants out if needed.

There’s nothing to compare the Civic Hybrid to, since it’s the only hybrid car on sale in India. However, it is a CBU, so it costs more than an Accord. The cost of ownership will have Honda’s usual frugality, but don’t break anything – the entire car is imported, which means any parts it doesn’t share with the regular Civic will have to be imported as well, and have corresponding prices. Battery replacement intervals stand at about two years – that’s another cost that an owner has to factor in. The foremost thing on a buyer’s mind will be the steep price cut that HSCI made to clear out stocks of the Hybrid – Rs 8 lakh is no small amount, and it is put in perspective when you consider that Honda India has never needed to slash prices to sell any of their cars, despite the premium they command over the competition. If current industry rumours are to be believed, HSCI does not plan to import any more unless the new budget favours CBU imports. Buy one if you need to show off your green credentials to the world, else you are served better with a small diesel hatchback – or use public transport instead.

Test Data

Engine Specifications

Four-cylinder 1339cc petrol, 95bhp@6000rpm, 122Nm@4600rpm and two electric in-hub motors, ~16bhp View specifications

Max in Gear#

Performance Test Data

Fuel Efficiency