- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.6DT, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
88kW, 300Nm
- Fuel
Diesel 4L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Manual
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2013 Honda Civic DTi-S Snapshot Review
2013 HONDA CIVIC HATCH REVIEW
Vehicle Style: Small hatchback
Engine/trans: 96kW/320Nm 1.6 turbodiesel 4cyl / 6sp manual
Price: $26,990 (plus on-roads)
Fuel Economy claimed: 4.0 l/100km | Tested: 5.1 l/100km
OVERVIEW
If we had one criticism of the Honda Civic hatch, it was that its standard 104kW /174Nm 1.8 litre petrol engine lacked the responsiveness to make it a truly cracking drive.
Honda solved that problem in April this year when it commenced sales of the diesel-drinking Civic DTi-S, its first diesel passenger car in the Australian market.
We loved it at the launch and lauded its torque and refinement.
But it's a manual-only model. That raises a couple of questions: how easy is it to live with? And, can it achieve in real-world driving Honda's claimed fuel efficiency? We borrowed a Civic DTi-S for a week to find out.
THE INTERIOR
Besides a tachometer that redlines at 5000rpm and a button on the centre-stack that disables the auto start-stop system, the cabin of the Civic DTi-S is indistinguishable from the petrol-powered VTi-S.
We like it that way. It’s a quality cabin that feels like it will outlast humanity itself.
Though the dash is constructed of harder stuff, there’s plenty of soft surfacing on the leather-upholstered steering wheel and gearknob - not to mention the velour-clad centre console lid and door trims.
The driver’s seat is a little high even at its lowest position, but there’s adequate headroom.
The back seat could use better under-thigh support, but the trade-off is the exceptionally versatile Magic Seat system that dramatically boosts the Civic Hatch’s utility as a load-carrier.
NOTE: This is a 'snapshot' review of the Civic. For more detailed reviews, see our Honda Civic page.