A real-world mpg hero

The Civic Tourer 1.6 i-DTEC came out top in the 2014 MPG Marathon, an annual real-world fuel efficiency test over 330 miles. Angela Pisanu gets behind the wheel to see just how frugal it is

The new Civic Tourer is the first estate‑bodied Honda Civic the manufacturer has made since 2001. With the compact estate market doing well, it is a sensible move for Honda, adding a model to rival the likes of the Volkswagen Golf Estate, Ford Focus Estate and Vauxhall Astra
Sports Tourer.

Inside the Civic Tourer is the 1.6 i-DTEC engine with the latest Earth Dreams Technology, which has proved to be very fuel efficient in real world tests. In fact the Civic Tourer won this year’s MPG Marathon, a real-world test over 330 miles. It achieved a staggering 97.92mpg – way over the Tourer’s quoted figure of 74.3mpg combined. At the end of the week that I had the car, after some 488 miles, I achieved 70mpg, which is impressive.

Green ambitions
Emissions for the Civic Tourer 1.6 i-DTEC are 99g/km. This is achieved by the finely-tuned i-DTEC engine, an improved aerodynamic body and load of green technology. The Eco Assist system helps drivers get the best fuel economy out of the car. If the car is being driven efficiently, the dashboard glows green. If the driver goes over the optimum level of throttle control, the dashboard changes to white/green, and during heavy acceleration and deceleration, it will glow white. The efficiency is further enhanced with the option of ECON
mode.

The Civic Tourer also has stop/start technology, cutting the engine of at a standstill and starting it again the instant you get going.

Performance wise, the Civic Tourer is confident and refined. Despite its fuel efficiency and low emissions, it boasts a more-than-reasonable 118bhp of power and 221lb ft/300Nm of torque. Its rear adaptive damper system, which can be set to comfort, normal and dynamic, allows the car to remain comfortable during highway cruising, yet firm and agile when more handling is required.

Same, but different
The Tourer has its own style identity, but can also be recognised as a Civic, with the same sleek cabin design and the integrated rear door handle as the hatchback.

The Tourer is only 235mm longer than the Civic hatchback, making it the most compact in the segment. The height and width however are identical. But despite these compact dimensions, the Civic Tourer has class-leading boot space. With the rear seats up it offers 624 litres of volume, and with the rear seats down, it offers 1668 litres of space. And the cabin space is one of the roomiest in the segment, offering 1431mm of shoulder room between driver and front seat passenger and 795mm of between driver and rear seat. And the slightly raised roofline  means more head space in the rear.
 
Versatile interior
Honda has allowed for many options for carrying both people and cargo. The car’s ‘magic seats’ fold down in one easy movement, and the interior trunk floor has been raised to create a completely flat area when the seats are folded down. The rear seat cushions can also be flipped up to reveal ample floor space for carrying tall objects.

What’s more, the tonneau cover can be rolled over the load space in the trunk and can be removed and stored away, which is useful when carrying larger objects.

Compelling case
For the corporate buyer, the Civic Tourer makes a compelling case. The excellent fuel economy and low emissions means low running costs, vehicle excise duty and BIK.

The added versatility of the interior and load space also give it the edge over other cars in the segment which offer similar fuel economy and emissions.

Honda Civic Tourer 1.6 i-DTEC S Manual
ENGINE: 1,598cc, four-cylinder diesel
CO2: 99g/km
MPG (combined): 74.3
VED: Band A, £0
BIK: 15%
PRICE (OTR): £21,375 (including VAT)