Honda civic 2010

Styling: The 2010 Honda Civic styling is unchanged, though if you pop the hood on an Si model you’ll see the color of its plastic engine shroud is now black instead of silver. This eighth-generation Civic was introduced for model-year 2006, bringing to the small-car field an artsy sense of design inside and out. No rival has quite matched it for sophisticated good taste, and Honda kept the look contemporary with some “mid-cycle” updates for model-year 2009. These are evident on the 2010 Honda Civic and include slightly sharper definition to the grille and lower front bumper. Headlights and taillights transitioned to trendy clear turn signal lenses with amber bulbs, and several models got new alloy wheel designs. Although it doesn’t have the longest body in the class, no compact competitor has a longer wheelbase than the Honda Civic four-door sedan. This 106.3-inch span between front and rear axles defines the space available for the passenger compartment. In wheelbase and overall body length, Civic’s two-door coupe is about two inches shorter than the sedan. That’s in keeping with a jauntier demeanor that sacrifices rear-seat room to swoopy styling; the difference is driven home by a roofline a significant three inches lower than the sedan’s. Don’t expect the Civic to change much in size when the all-new model debuts for model-year 2011. What that ninth generation Civic will look like, however, is Honda’s closely guarded secret.

Mechanical: All Civics have front-wheel drive and are well-served by smooth-running four-cylinder engines. The powertrain lineup segues into 2010 intact, though some reports suggest Honda may mark the end of this Civic design cycle by summon a super-high-performance model sometime before the 2011s arrive. That would be the 220-horsepower Type R, an enthusiast favorite previously offered only in Europe and Japan. Meanwhile, a 140-horsepower 1.8-liter does duty in the three main Civic models: base DX, volume LX models, and upscale EX. These cars come with manual or automatic transmission, both of which have five speeds. The sporty Si coupe and sedan have a 197-horsepower 2.0-liter linked exclusively to a six-speed manual. The Honda Civic Hybrid comes as a sedan only and combines a 1.3-liter gas engine with an electric motor for a total of 110 horsepower. The electric motor can propel the Civic Hybrid for very short distances on battery power alone, but mostly acts as an assist to the engine. This helps save fuel and lower emissions by allowing use of a smaller gas engine and by enabling the engine to shut off at stops and then restart automatically as the driver depresses the accelerator. The Hybrid employs a continuously variable transmission, or CVT. CVTs act like an automatic but dispense with set gear ratios in favor of a rheostat-like delivery of power. The Civic GX sedan has a 113-horspower 1.8-liter powered exclusively by natural gas. This near-zero-emissions car is available to retail customers in California, Utah, and New York.

Features: The 2010 Honda Civic lineup again begins with the very basic DX sedan and climbs to EX-L sedans and coupes with leather upholstery, sunroof, and a navigation system. Along the way, it detours into the sporty Si coupe and sedan and swings wide to encorporate hybrid and natural-gas-powered sedans. Honda defines each trim level by an escalating set of features. There’s no ala carte selection of options. Every Civic comes with antilock brakes, a tilt/telescope steering wheel, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, and power windows. Notable features include antiskid control to stabilize the car in changes of direction; it’s standard on the Civic EX-L, Hybrid, and Si. Those Civics, as well as the EX and Hybrid models, are available with a navigation system that includes voice recognition, satellite radio, and Bluetooth cell phone connectivity. The navigation system is accompanied by a USB audio interface for iPods and other MP3 devices. EX, EX-L, and Si models come with a power sunroof. Leather upholstery and heated front seats and side mirrors are standard on EX-L models and available on Civic Hybrids.