2010 Honda Civic hatchback

2010 Honda Civic hatchback

When the Civic Hatchback was launched in Europe back in 2006, it shocked many with its edgy space-age styling including its jewelled front end, hidden rear door handles and rakish rear.

Over the years, people have got used to its looks and it’s a rather popular choice in hatchback loving markets. Honda is offering the more practical five-door version (and hot three-door Type R) in the UAE to give an option to those looking for something a little bit different.

And different it is. As the hatchback has been designed for the European market, it has a different suspension set-up to the four-door sedan and as a result is a little more sporting in its drive. The five-door features the same 1.8-litre engine and five-speed automatic gearbox as the sedan model, but for real driving thrills you should look to the three-door Type-R.

The three-door Type-R is a pure hot-hatch which features a high-revving 2.0-litre engine with 198bhp which is connected to a six-speed manual gearbox. You really have to get involved in the driving to get the most out of the Type-R – this is not a car to sit back and cruise in.

However, for the rest of us, the five-door hatchback version offers a very practical package – the rear seats can be folded out of the way to make room for large items and there’s even a hidden storage area under the boot floor to keep items away from prying eyes.

Just one highly-specced version of the five-door hatchback and Type-R is offered with plenty of active and passive safety kit and stylish alloy wheels.