BackHonda Civic 10th gen: A sporty sedan with just enough tech
Honda’s 10th generation Civic is arguably the sportiest looking sedan you can get in IndiaThe 10th generation Honda Civic is an improvement on its predecessor in many ways
PremiumOf the mainstream sedans you can buy in India today, there are few that come with the history of the Honda Civic. The company’s 10th generation Civic is arguably the sportiest looking sedan you can get in India.
It’s comfortable for both the driver and the passenger, feels low like a sports car even if it lacks the performance of such vehicles, and turns heads when out on the road. And peppered among this is some technology that makes improves the value proposition.
Right off the bat, you see the 17.7cm display propped up on the dash. This gives you access to Honda’s infotainment system, which has in-built Bluetooth support, navigation and more. It’s slightly slow, which you feel when changing screens, etc., but not slow enough to hinder driving.
On the other hand, the company has incorporated physical buttons this time that allow you to navigate to audio, home screen, etc., without having to touch the screen. It’s a somewhat pedestrian system for a car that feels more high-end.
That said, it supports both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which is what most users will resort to. Honda has a USB port on the central console that your phone needs to be connected to in order to use these systems. The system switches to the Android/Apple interface depending on the phone you connect.
If you haven’t driven a Honda car before, you may have trouble finding this USB. The infotainment system tells you to look for a USB port with a smartphone logo on the top. Look right next to the driver’s left leg, under the central console. While it’s difficult to find at first, it makes sense, because the USB cable and phone can both be placed under the console and out of reach, thereby making things look cleaner.
Honda also has rear- and side-view cameras built into the car. The rear cameras are of course meant for reversing, parking, etc. and show how near or far you are to obstacles. There’s a second camera for when you’re taking a left turn. There’s none for the driver’s side, which makes sense, since the driver is usually aware of his/her side.
The steering wheel has buttons for controlling audio, giving voice commands to the car, toggling cruise control and more. The built-in voice feature does not function well, but that’s a problem with almost every car today. It’s better to depend on Siri or the Google Assistant once you connect Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.
Next, the car also has sensors fitted to detect headlights from other vehicles behind you. Using these, it dims the rear-view mirror when it detects glare from the headlamps behind you that can affect the driver’s vision. A nifty addition for Indian roads, where unnecessary high beams are usual.
While Honda doesn’t divulge who makes the speakers for this car, there’s no denying that it’s an able system. Higher-end luxury vehicles of course do much better, but there’s little to complain here. The four speakers inside the car deliver pretty loud and tight bass, while not being too shabby for the higher and mid-tones either. It’s not the perfect system, but it will be fine for the non-audiophile. It’s slightly biased towards bass-driven songs though, which perhaps makes more sense in India anyway, given our listening habits.
Lastly, if you’re buying the petrol version of this car, the key has a remote ignition starter. This allows you to turn the car on in advance and have it cool down before you enter.
To conclude, the 10th generation Honda Civic is an improvement on its predecessor in many ways, while its infotainment system and in-car technology , uphold current market standards.
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