As before, the rear-seat accommodations are top-notch with a flat floor so the middle occupant won’t be fighting for foot space. On the other hand, the bench is designed to maximize comfort for two passengers, not three; this is a growing trend in the industry, although I guess manufacturers’ research demonstrates that a 5th passenger is somewhat of a rarity in a car nowadays.

Trunk space in the 2012 sedan increases slightly compared to the 2011 car, from 340 litres to 353 in DX and LX models, and 344 in EX, EX-L and Si trims. The cutout between the trunk and the rear-seat area is pretty narrow, which reduces the versatility of the fold-down seatback.

Trunk space in the 2012 sedan increases slightly compared to the 2011 car, from 340 litres to 344 in EX, EX-L and Si trims. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour/Auto123.com)

How many people designed the dashboard?
What’s arguably a downgrade in the 2012 Honda Civic is the dashboard’s design and material quality. True, the centre stack is logically angled towards the driver, and the control layout is still as straightforward as it used to be. The dashtop display with its digital speedometer readout is great for figuring out how fast we’re going without taking our eyes off the road ahead.

However, what bugs me a little is the half-dozen different textures spread out on the dash: rough, semi-rough, grainy, smooth… they’re all there clashing against each other. I know, a single texture covering everything would be monotonous, but this is a bit too much.

In addition, the dash of our tester has 3 or 4 different shades of grey; again, too much. The right side of the dashboard blends in with the door panel, but the left side doesn’t. As for those door panels, they feel hollow and flex-y, something I have never gotten used to in a Honda.

A little too conservative, perhaps?
The new Civic is also drawing negative comments for its exterior styling. It looks a lot like the old model, and compared to the recent efforts from some rival automakers (the Ford Focus and Hyundai Elantra come to mind), the Civic is rather bland. Keep in mind what I said earlier, though; you shouldn’t mess with success, and Honda didn’t.

And this raises a question: which car will age more gracefully between the Elantra and the Civic? In my humble opinion, it could swing either way. We’ll see in a couple of years.

From the front, it’s not that easy to distinguish a new Civic from last year’s edition. Will this bother Civic buyers looking to trade in? Maybe.

It looks a lot like the old model, and compared to the recent efforts from some rival automakers, the Civic is rather bland. (Photo: Honda, Sébastien D'Amour/Auto123.com)