2006 Honda Civic Hybrid Road Test

[Tideland Prius]

What comes to mind when the words Honda and hybrid are put together? For me, I used to think of the Insight, that quirky looking two-door with the semi-covered rear wheels that was introduced to the Canadian market at the turn of the century. But now when I put the two words together, two additional things come to mind: the Accord and Civic. Since 2000, Honda has integrated its most popular selling vehicles into its hybrid lineup, not only creating greener and more fuel-efficient cars but also making them available to, and affordable for the masses.

This year’s all-new Civic Hybrid features freshly modern styling coupled with a spirited 1.3L, 8-valve, i-VTEC, 4-cylinder gasoline engine with Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) producing 110 horsepower (17 more horsepower than the previous generation) and 123 lb-ft of torque.

Furthermore the new Civic Hybrid has grown larger, following the growth spurt of its four-door gasoline-only counterpart, making for added comfort via greater interior room. Its outward dimensions have increased by 36 mm (1.4 inches) lengthwise to 4,491 mm (176.8 inches), 38 mm (1.5 inches) in width to 1,753 mm (69.0 inches), and the biggest increase of all, its wheelbase expanding by 81 mm (3.2 inches) to 2,700 mm (106.3 inches).

The larger exterior has enabled Honda to incorporate an advanced compatibility engineering (ACE) body structure to the sedan, which spreads out the crash energy when impacted from different sized vehicles. The body is also secured with side impact beams for all four doors, as well as side curtain airbags and dual-stage, dual threshold front airbags (SRS), power-assisted front ventilated discs and rear drum brakes with ABS, plus daytime running lights (DRL) to make it even safer.

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