Honda Civic SE+

New Civic joins kit parade

All the looks of a Type R, but at more affordable price. That’s the idea behind Honda’s latest Civic, which intends to give buyers a taste of what the firm’s hot hatch has to offer.

Auto Express Car Reviews

13th January 2008

On sale in the UK this week, the SE+ is fitted with 16-inch alloy wheels, a sporty spoiler at the back and body-coloured skirts. The extras complement the Civic’s angular looks, and create a similar effect to the Type R’s beefy bodykit.

But you will be disappointed if you’re expecting hot hatch performance. The SE+ is powered by an 82bhp 1.4-litre petrol engine, which delivers 0-62mph in a sluggish 14.6 seconds – although economy of 47.9mpg provides some compensation.

Priced at £14,900, the five-door version is £2,715 cheaper than the flagship three-door Type R, and costs £635 more than the standard SE. Only 1,000 of the UK-built special editions will be made, each with a choice of blue or silver paintwork.

While the Civic is getting sporty, the smaller Jazz has had a luxury makeover. A classy Luxe’ster version of the firm’s next-generation supermini debuted at this week’s Tokyo Auto Salon. It features leather trim throughout the cabin as Honda bids to tempt buyers away from more costly executive models.

The Luxe’ster is set to become a production reality, but is unlikely to be a standalone model. Instead, its extras will be offered as accessories in the Japanese market.