Combination

Offenbach, 13. August 2013 – a few years ago, the japanese contribution to the compact station wagon market was extremely limited. Until 2008, only mitsubishi still offered the lancer station wagon, which had recently become very outdated. But the high proportion of station wagons among the korean competition seems to attract the japanese. Following in toyota’s footsteps, honda is now introducing the civic tourer, a station wagon in the golf class.

Unconventional, but spacious

Honda presented a study of a civic station wagon at the geneva motor show in the spring of this year. Except for a few details, the production model resembles this concept car. The press department speaks of a "sporty, sleek and dynamic auberen". On a more sober note, the new rear end is, to put it mildly, a bit of an acquired taste. The civic tourer stands out visually from the more sedate german competition, which need not be a fault, because there are plenty of boring cars out there. Sales figures will show whether the look is compatible with the masses.

The rear is not only visually voluminous. According to honda’s own figures, 624 liters fit into the trunk without folding down the back seat. That’s a little more than the vw golf variant (605 liters) and skoda octavia combi (610 liters) offer, although the small differences in practice were hardly allowed to play a role. According to the manufacturer, a maximum of 1668 liters can be stored in the rear when the rear seats are folded down. Compared to the competition, this is also a very respectable figure, especially as the civic remains compact even as an estate. With a length of 4.52 meters, it is shorter than many models in this class.

Since the fuel tank is not located under the back seat, as in most cars, but under the front seats, there is room for a clever idea that has been standard in the jazz for years. By folding up the back seat, bulky items such as a bicycle or a giant tv can be transported. Honda has also thought of a storage space for the luggage compartment cover. The double load floor can be lowered if particularly high goods are to be transported. In addition, the landing edge is almost 14 cm lower than on the civic funfturer.

One gasoline engine, one diesel

Somewhat surprising is the limited choice of engines at launch. Initially, the civic tourer will only be available with the 1.6-liter diesel and the 1.8-liter gasoline engine. The diesel produces 120 hp and offers a maximum torque of 300 nm. During a ride in the funfturer, it left a positive impression – this machine was also an excellent match for the station wagon. The gasoline engine with 142 hp and 174 nm, on the other hand, has to be revved up a lot, because maximum torque is only at 4300 rpm. This design may suit a crisp sports car, but not so much a family station wagon.