The Honda Civic is a line of subcompact/compact cars manufactured by Honda. In the
United States of America, the Civic is the second-longest continuously-running
nameplate from a Japanese manufacturer; only the Toyota Corolla, introduced in
1968, has been in production longer.[1] The Civic, along with the Accord and
Prelude, comprised Honda's vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s, when
the model lineup was expanded. Having gone through several generational changes,
the Civic has become larger and more upmarket, and it currently slots between
the Fit and Accord.
It was introduced in July 1972 as a two-door coupe,
followed by a three-door hatchback that September. With the transverse engine
mounting of its 1169 cc engine and front-wheel drive like the British Mini,
the car provided good interior space despite overall small dimensions.[2] Early
models of the Civic were typically outfitted with a basic AM radio, a rudimentary
heater, foam-cushioned plastic trim, two-speed wipers and painted steel rims
with a chromed wheel nut cap. The current Civic has become much more luxurious
with air conditioning, power locks, and power windows, plus options like leather
upholstery, satellite-linked navigation, and a six-speed manual transmission.
Initially gaining a reputation for being fuel-efficient, reliable and environmentally
friendly, later iterations have become well-known for performance and
sportiness, especially the Civic Type-R and Civic Si.[3][4]
The Civic
has been rebadged for international markets with such models as the Honda
Ballade and Honda Domani/Acura EL. The Civic platform also served as the basis
for the CR-X sport compact, the CR-X del Sol targa convertible, and the CR-V compact
SUV.
As of 2008, the Civic has been the top-selling car in Canada
for eleven straight years.[5][6] With high gas prices and a weak economy in
June 2008, the Civic supplanted the Ford F-150 to become the top-selling vehicle
in the United States for that month.[7][8].
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