Frankfurt Motor Show 2005 - Honda

What's the star of the stand?
This is the first public showing of the new Civic, although a concept version was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March. It has changed remarkably little since, and will certainly turn a few heads in the largely conservative small family sector.

It confirms that a company renowned for engines and reliability has suddenly become all style-conscious. Honda is in the middle of a Changing Rooms-style makeover, although the emphasis inside the cabin remains very much on practicality – more so than ever, in fact.

However, the new look comes with a sting. The cheapest Civic model will cost nearly £13,000 instead of just over £11,000 for the current version, and the entry-level 1.4 will be slower than the outgoing model.

The entry-level version, the 1.4 S will cost £12,685. The 1.4 SE, which is expected to be a bigger seller, will cost £13,750. The 1.8 will start at £13,535 and stretch to £16,600, while the 2.2-litre turbodiesels will start at £15,900 for an SE and go up to £18,100 for an EX. The top seller in the range is expected to be the 2.2-litre diesel Sport at £16,600.

The 1.4-litre models will sit in insurance group four, and the 1.8 models will be in group nine or 10. The diesel versions will be in group 10 or 11.

Every Civic will have six airbags, brakeforce distribution and stability control. SE versions will have active headrests, brake assist, air-conditioning and alloy wheels. The Sport will have 17-inch alloy wheels, and the top-of-the-range EX will have DVD-based sat-nav, automatic headlights and wipers, and cruise control.

The car has received a maximum five-star rating for occupant safety in Euro NCAP crash testing, three out of four stars for pedestrian safety, and four out of five for child safety.

They say
The new Civic is a ‘premium sports compact’ that can rival the Alfa Romeo 147, Audi A3, BMW 1 Series and VW Golf. ‘We set out to create a revolution for the European market that would excite our customers and that our competitors would have to follow’, says Yoshiyuki Matsumoto, the engineer behind the new Civic.

We say
Design flair to rival Alfa, combined with legendary Japanese build quality, could be a huge success. However, ‘premium’ equals pricey, and it remains to be seen whether this could be a barrier to the radical new Civic reaching its desired wider audience. The interior is innovative and clever, although hard plastics in some places detract slightly from its premium appeal.

Anything else?
The all-new Civic Hybrid saloon makes its world debut at Frankfurt before going on sale in January. At £15k, and with carbon dioxide emissions of 109g/km, it should give the Toyota Prius a serious rival.

The Accord has also been given a subtle face-lift for January, and some clever safety options, such as Honda’s new Lane Keeping Assist System. The S2000 roadster gets some minor styling tweaks inside and out, and even gets speakers built into the headrests.

Any gossip?
We’re all itching to find out when the Civic Type-R will arrive, but Honda is staying tight-lipped for now. All the focus at Frankfurt is on the standard Civic and new Hybrid, but expect an announcement on the hot hatch early next year.