The flight to Puerto Princesa was delayed.  This certainly wasn’t a welcome greeting to the 10 motoring journalists who had to wake up at five in the morning, all dying to get behind the wheel of Honda’s new baby, the Civic.  As the group, along with the other inconvenienced Cebu Pacific passengers, got familiar with Manila’s dilapidated domestic airport, all were wondering how the new Civic would do—as this would be the first-ever full media drive.  After 4 hours on the perforated metal chairs, everyone was thinking, breathing and bleeding Civic.   Perhaps this was a part of Honda’s ingenious plan to wet their appetites.  Whether this is true or not, it certainly worked.

Upon the group’s arrival at Puerto Princesa’s “international airport”, everyone expected to be greeted by a Pearl White Mica 2.0S-L.  Instead, two shuttles took them to the Asturias Hotel for a short briefing.  Honda Cars Philippines’ Arnel Dornia led the enigmatic group of Tin Tin Reyes, Sheryl Delos Santos and Gabby Peren, who was unfortunate enough to get stuck with the journalist back in Manila.  The all-new Civic’s key features were explained including the Multiplex Meter, telescopic steering wheel, organ-type accelerator pedal, new transmissions, suspension improvements and Vehicle Stability Assist.  After a quick lunch, it was off to the cars.

The author, along with fellow Manila Times contributor and Metro Active Motoring editor Ira Panganiban and Manila Standard Today’s Randy Caluag, was assigned a Bluish Silver 1.8S automatic.  Although Ira was eyeing James Deakin and Joselu Romualdez’s (Auto Extreme) 2.0S-L manual enviously, the 1.8S automatic was the perfect Civic to drive first, as this is Honda’s best-selling variant, with a waiting list stretching for up to 3 months!  Ira was first behind the wheel as everyone flagged off from the hotel to the Salvacion Viewdeck over 31 kilometers away.  According to Honda, this would be the best route to test the Civic’s agility, stability and steering response through a series of mountainous zigzags roads long bends and narrow straights.

As a passenger on the first leg of the Civic drive, the first think you realize is eerie quietness of the engine.  Honda powerplants, though known for their high revving nature were critiqued for their droning sound on idle.  Not so with all-new 1.8-liter inline-4.  It was stunningly quiet, that once or twice, Randy had to check if the engine was actually running at all!  Once the convoy got out of the city, the real fun started.  Jude Morte (Rev Magazine) and Charles Buban (Philippine Daily Inquirer) charged away in the other 1.8S.  Ira followed closely behind, pushing speeds in excess of 120 km/h.  Even so, you’d never feel any noise or vibration inside the cabin.  Even tire and road noise (previous Honda woes) were quelled.  NVH insulation was spot on.  Soon the roads got twisty and rough; and again the Civic showed its mettle with excellent bump absorption.  Though relying on the previous Civic’s MacPherson Strut / Double Wishbone suspension set-up, various changes were made to make the car more compliant and comfy on the long haul.  After the first leg, everyone agreed that the suspension people deserve a salary raise for their work on this one.

Honda Cars Philippines brought in 4 Honda Civics for the journalists to try out.  You can actually tell the variant by its color. From left to right: Pearl White Mica (2.0 S-L), Habanero Red (2.0 S), Bluish Silver (1.8S) and Alabaster Silver (1.8S).

Arnel Dornia and Gabby Peren flag off the author's 1.8S A/T.  This is currently the best-selling Civic with a 3-month waiting list.  Time to see what the fuss is all about.

MetroActive Magazine's Ira Panganiban laughs out loud when he tries the Civic's new found acceleration and surprising agility through the twisty mountain roads.