All About Japan Autos

In December 2010, Honda released a sketch of the 2012 Honda Civic and nothing else. Now that Honda has released pricing information, available features, and journalists have had a chance to drive the 2012 Civic, there’s a lot more information to share.

The first thing most shoppers will notice is the Civic’s slightly refreshed exterior. “Honda opted for the safe route, which could prove unsafe if the Civic doesn’t meet expectations,” writes Motor Trend. “Gen 9′s exterior design, which is meant to be distinctive, clean, and energetic, per Honda, looks decidedly similar to that of Gen 8, retaining the so-called ‘mono-form body.’ Why? Honda wanted the new model to be instantly recognizable as a Civic.” Other critics agree that the Civic is undoubtedly a Civic, but say its exterior is bland.

The 2012 Honda Civic will be available in seven models: a sedan, a coupe, Si sedan, Si coupe, hybrid, high fuel-efficiency (HF) and a natural gas model. With so many models, the trim levels can start to get confusing. To keep things simple, the base DX coupe and sedan, which starts at $15,805, offer next to nothing in terms of standard interior features: There’s no air conditioning and no radio, two very basic features for any car. It does, however, have vehicle stability assist, a feature that was only available on the $21,955 EX-L trim last year. The 2012 DX does gain Eco Assist, new for this year, which maximizes fuel efficiency. Meanwhile, the $14,830 Hyundai Elantra comes with a six speaker audio system, a USB input jack and XM Satellite radio. Bluetooth and air conditioning are optional.

Very few shoppers will want the DX simply because it’s basic. The next step up, the $17,885 LX coupe and sedans, have an AM/FM radio with four speakers, manual air conditioning and power door locks. This year, these models get steering wheel mounted controls, a USB audio interface and a color i-MID system, which integrates entertainment information and fuel economy data into the dash. Bluetooth requires another upgrade, and is available on the EX for $20,505.

When looking at the 2012 Civic as complete package, the automotive industry thinks the Honda Civic is a good option, but the competition is stronger than it used to be. Car and Driver prefers the Civic Si’s 2.0-liter 197 horsepower engine over the base model’s 1.8-liter four cylinder than makes 140 horsepower. Performance aside, one thing the industry is pleased with is the Civic’s improved fuel economy ratings, which reach 41 mpg on the highway with the HF model. These enhances are great, but the industry worries that they’re not enough to help the Civic hang with the competition, which offers good fuel economy for less cash.

“With an automatic transmission, both the Civic sedan and two-door coupe are rated to get 28 mpg in the city, 39 on the highway, for an average of 32 (up from 29 before),” writes Business Week. “However, that still leaves the Honda a tiny bit behind the 2011 Elantra sedan, which is rated at 29/40/33 whether with an automatic or a stick shift, and versions of the 2012 Ford Focus that are rated at 28/40/33 with an automatic. (The 2011 Toyota Corolla trails behind at 26/34/29.)”

Business Week isn’t the only publication to share this concern. “What the 2012 Civic hasn’t done is vault its competitors to exceed them in any respect, and full redesigns are an automaker’s best opportunity to do so,” says Cars.com. “Unlike the new Volkswagen Jetta, which we believe has slipped in terms of both interior quality and its driving experience, the Civic remains a very good car. The question is whether it will stay competitive in the coming years as other models evolve.”

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