Honda keeps things simple with e:HEV's switchgear

Honda Civic e:HEV drive by Steve Rogers

We all like the simple things in life. A day out at the seaside, wide parking spaces in supermarket car parks… and cars that still have switches!

Trust me these cars are few and far between as the Chinese way of modelling a huge touchscreen on smartphone technology seems to be consuming the car industry.

And then there is Honda (along with a few others) which is bang up to date with technology but prefers to keep it simple with a scattering of switches along the Civic's dashboard. Here is a car you can jump into and drive away without staring at a screen trying to figure out how to demist the windscreen or tune to a favourite radio station.

Civic is in its 11th generation, or 54 years old, and has had a few cosmetic tweaks to tidy things up although it will take a sharp eye to pick them out. Anyway I will tell you. The fog lights are gone to improve aero efficiency, Honda says new LED headlight technology provides ample cover, and the front grilles have a fresh design.

The big change to Civic is just one engine option, a 2-litre self-charging hybrid that just happens to be one of the most refined on the market delivering impressive fuel economy and sharp performance through a combination of petrol engine and electric motors.

Let’s dig a little deeper into the Civic’s economy credentials. Officially the average is 56mpg but I was beating that all the time and on one lazy Sunday afternoon trip topped 70mpg over 50 odd miles. My week’s average was 60.4mpg and this from a car that doesn't need eight seconds to hit 60mph.

The bad news is the peerless Type R version has been dropped but that is not to say you can’t have a bit of fun in this Civic. Honda has tuned the suspension and steering to offer a balance between comfort and agility. It hangs on beautifully through corners with precise steering and good body control and is a cracking car for the spirited driver but will keep granny comfortable under calmer conditions.

Let’s get back to the interior. First up it is spacious for a hatchback this size with ample legroom front and back. The dipping coupe roofline means headroom is a tad tight for lanky passengers but even that is a bit nit-picking.

The boot is equally impressive, not the biggest in its class, a few litres behind the Peugeot 308, while no one can match the Skoda Octavia, but plenty big enough for a family’s holiday luggage. Drop the seats and there is an expansive flat loading area.

My wife picked up on the pair of full grip handles to pull down the tailgate, the usual cut out method is not practical for heavy tailgates and can break a nail apparently. Another casualty of the low slung body style is Honda’s famed cinema style lift up rear seat cushions that provides floor to ceiling storage for tall objects.

As for the dashboard this will please those who just don’t want to cope with the reliance on a touchscreen for everything. You still get a digital drivers display with a lot of information accessed via steering wheel buttons along with a central touchscreen with clear graphics for infotainment and smartphone connectivity but there are chunky

switches for the heating controls and a volume switch for the radio. I am going to shoot myself in the foot here but dare I say the screen is a little too small and does not have room for a surround camera.

There are lots to commend the Civic but the efficiency of the hybrid engine, especially in urban driving, makes it an attractive option for drivers looking to reduce costs without switching to a fully electric car.

So Civic is outstanding but not quite perfect. Economy, performance, comfort, space and quality all earn five stars but there is only one engine option, no plug-in hybrid and its price tag is higher than some key rivals offering more choice.

Fast facts

Civic Advance

£39,995 (starts £34,325)

2-litre hybrid; 181bhp

0-62mph 8.1secs; 112mph

56.5mph combined

102g/km. 1st VED £405

Boot: 404-814 litres

Insurance group 2