New and improved. That’s a term thrown around by manufacturers who make a few cosmetic changes to their product and then market it as a completely new one. The 2016 Honda Civic, on the other hand, can definitely use that tag line!
This 10th edition of the Honda Civic has undergone a plethora of changes as compared to its predecessor and it’s now ready to regain its pedestal.
The previous Civic was not bad to look at but this iteration takes that up to a whole new level. The redesigned front fascia with the sleek headlamps and the grille connected by the chrome lip, gives it a very sporty appearance. From the side the blacked out B and C-pillars and the sloping back continues the sporty character. The rear is where the major redesigning has been done and stylish C-shaped tail lamps are a head turner. 
The interior matches the sportiness shown on the inside and it also comes loaded with features. The Civic is available in three trims in Qatar – LX, EX and RS. The EX and the RS come with Honda’s 7-inch touch screen infotainment system that was seen on the Pilot. It comes with Apple Car Play and Google Android Auto for your mobile connectivity. These two trims also gets the Honda LaneWatch, which gives the driver a view of the blindspot on the right of the car when the indicator stalk is activated. This is done using a camera on the right rearview mirror. 
The car has a lot of storage spaces including a cubby hole under the infotainment system. This comes with a USB and a 12V charging port. The Civic also has a generous 1,378-litre boot.  
And the change continues under the hood. Gone is the 1.8-litre old mill (143hp) and now in its place you have two new and more powerful engine options – the 2.0-litre and the 1.5-litre turbo. The 2.0-litre engine is available in the LX and the EX trims. It produces 158hp@6500rpm and 187N-m@4200rpm. The RS comes with the 1.5-litre turbocharged version, which gives you 22hp more at a lower 6000rpm and 220N-m of torque across a wide range of 1,700-5,500rpm. Both engines come mated to a new gen CVT.  
The more powerful RS is definitely the one for the enthusiast. Switch to Sport mode, mash the pedal to the floor and the CVT holds till it hits the 6,000rpm. Quite a few signal Grand Prixs can be won with this Civic. Because it is a CVT, there’s no option to manually change gears. But all you need is a little bit of throttle control and you won’t miss the manual shifting. The low NVH levels also keep out the engine noise. It would have been nice if they filtered a bit of that into the cabin. The 2.0-litre variant is equally good to drive. While you lose out a bit on the acceleration, it’s powerful enough to keep you entertained. During our drive, the car reached three figures with great ease and when we pushed further, the 2.0-litre engine was more than eager to extend its legs. 
The ride quality on the Civic is excellent. You can attack the roundabouts with no fear of understeer. Among other modifications, Honda has used high-strength steel to stiffen the body by 25%, which aids handling. You can expect to see a few of them during the track days at the Losail International Circuit. 
The 2016 Civic is comprehensively a far more attractive package than its predecessor. Stylish, better engines and feature-rich – the 10th edition of the Civic looks set to regain its mantle as everybody’s everyday sporty sedan.