Diesel Honda Civic gains new nine-speed automatic

Honda has announced that the saloon version of its popular Civic will be placed on sale in the UK, with a nine-speed automatic making its diesel debut.

The saloon is already a popular choice in some of Honda’s key markets, such as the US, but it marks the first return of the bodystyle to the UK since the Civic IMA hybrid of 2003. While hatch models are built at Honda’s Swindon plant, however, the saloon comes from Honda’s factory in Turkey.

Though it does without the practical hatchback tailgate, the Civic saloon will offer greater interior volume overall. There’s improved legroom for rear passengers as well as a 519-litre boot – 99 litres more than the hatch can offer.

Trim levels mirror the hatchback but Honda will only offer two choices of engine – a 127bhp 1.0-litre petrol, mated to a six-speed manual or CVT automatic, or a 118bhp 1.6-litre diesel.

It’s the latter which gains Honda’s new nine-speed automatic gearbox. Rolled out to equivalent diesel hatchback models as well, the gearbox offers a super-low first gear for a quick pickup when setting off as well as a very long top gear ratio for relaxed cruising.

It’s also capable of skipping as many as four gears at once, dropping from ninth gear to as low as fifth, when overtaking for example.

Paired with the diesel engine, Honda claims a 0-60mph sprint of under 11 seconds and a top speed of 124mph. It also claims a fuel consumption figure of 68.9mpg and CO2 emissions of 108g/km for the saloon or 109g/km for the hatch.

That’s a slight drop from the six-speed manual model, though, which is capable of 80.7mpg with CO2 emissions of 93g/km.

Order books are open now for the new automatic gearbox, which adds £1,650 onto the price of diesel models.