Honda Civic - Interior, design and technology

Honda has smoothed out the angular lines of the previous Civic model, providing the 11th iteration of its family hatchback with a cleaner look, increased glasshouse and a longer, sleeker profile. It looks handsome and offers a more cohesive design than its predecessor.

Inside, the cabin benefits from a noticeable step up in perceived quality. Regular touch points feel more upmarket, while the seats in Advance models are upholstered in black leather trim. Everything feels as tightly screwed together as any premium offering the Civic will go up against. 

Honda engineers have kept easy-to-use physical climate controls for the interior of the Civic, and have wisely avoided using the touch-sensitive buttons or sliders we’ve found to be hugely frustrating on the VW Golf. There’s a similarly pragmatic approach throughout the cabin with well-placed cupholders, USB ports and drive mode selector buttons on the centre console that are easy to use.

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Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

At nine inches, the Civic's touchscreen is marginally smaller than the unit featured in its rivals like the Kia Ceed, Toyota Corolla or Vauxhall Astra. However, the interface is neat, and there’s a logical main menu comprising two rows of shortcut icons. If you’re used to previous Civics, it’s a huge improvement, but it’s still not quite a class-leading system. 

In our opinion, the graphics look a little dated, and when we pitted the 11th-generation Civic against the Corolla, the Honda’s system couldn't load as quickly. At least Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity is standard, plus there are useful USB ports in the front and rear of the cabin.

It’s great that Honda has kept some shortcut keys along the base of the screen to make it easier to use on the move than rivals such as the Golf. The part-digital dials on the Elegance and Sport models are clear enough and easy to read, while the top-of-the-range Advance trim gets a 10.2-inch fully digital driver’s display. An upgraded Bose 12-speaker audio system comes on the range-topping model also.