Our quick take

Honda Civic 1.6 i-DTEC SE - 3.5 / 5

A car for the head, but perhaps not the heart

A great engine, an average car?

Where’s the tech?

To recap

A great new diesel engine adds to the Civic’s appeal and provides admirable economy. But the rest of the car isn’t quite as great – it’s still different and has appealing qualities but without doing anything fantastically. There are ultimately better cars in the class