Honda Civic has been a very successful sedan in Pakistan ever since it first appeared in our country during the late 1970s and remains the oldest competitor to the most popular car, the Toyota Corolla.
Almost every generation of Civic has seen good success in our country, but among all those, the 5th gen Civic was a huge stride forward compared to the previous generations, and its rivals of course, and probably the first to take the image of Civic from an ordinary sedan to a sporty fun-to-drive car as known today.
The 5th generation Civic debuted in Japan on 9th September 1991 and immediately won the Car of the Year Japan Award becoming the second Civic to win the title. The 3rd-generation Civic in 1983 was the first Civic ever to win the Car of the Year Japan award.
Dimension-wise the fifth-gen Civic was larger than its predecessor, and had a more aerodynamic body with an increased wheelbase of 103.2 inches. This Civic offered an excellent driving position coupled with an exceptional cabin space with generous legroom for front as well as rear passengers.
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For the 5th Gen Civic, Honda raised the cowl, which allowed more suspension travel and with that change, the ride became softer than that of the previous generations, which provided a more compliant ride at the expense of crisper handling.
The 5th-generation Civic first arrived in our market as an import in 1992 with a 1300cc engine and sunroof. However, Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan Limited, a joint venture between Honda Motor Company Limited Japan, and the Atlas Group of Companies Pakistan, was incorporated in November 1992 while the first locally assembled 5th gen Civic with a 1500cc carburetor engine rolled off the assembly line on 26th May 1994. There was no sunroof offered with the locally assembled versions though.
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The 5th gen Civic was undoubtedly one of the most loved models of the Honda Civic in our country because of the visual aesthetics, generous space, quality drive, and the tremendous room for modifications it offered. Interestingly the 5th generation Civic was produced for the shortest period of time compared to all Civic models produced in Pakistan. In January 1996 it was replaced by the 6th generation Civic within just 2 years of local production.
For a long while, howver, the 5th generation Civic remained a hot seller in the used car market even after being discontinued. As people are generally reluctant to go after something new, particularly when the 6th gen came with a 1.5-liter fuel-injected unit and a 1.6-liter VTi, the 5th gen with a 1.5-liter carburetor engine was believed to have better compatibility with CNG hence was largely preferred by used car buyers. Up until 1999/2000, the fifth-gen Civic had a better resale value compared to its successor the 6th gen.
It is also interesting to know that the sales of 5th gen Civic in 1995-96 (4,666 units) were more than the per year sales of 6th gen Civic (3,922 units in 1996-97), (4,071 units in 1997-98) and (3,928 units in 1998-99). The 6th gen surpassed the per-year sales of the fifth when the facelift arrived in 1999, as it sold 4,744 units in 1999-2000. (pama.org.pk)
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More interestingly the popularity of fifth-gen reached new heights when the “Fast and the Furious” movie was released in 2001. Many people got hold of the fifth gens from the used car market for modifications while a lot of them ended up being riced. You may still come across plenty of 5th gens with huge spoilers, extended bumpers, and loud mufflers to imitate the Civic from that movie.
5th-gen Civic in Fast and the Furious movie: 2001
The car was also commonly referred to as ‘Dolphin’ in our market due to its low-flat hood and a raised cabin resembling a dolphin’s snout. Despite having the shortest production period in Pakistan, the 5th gen remained a popular car among used car buyers and enthusiasts alike for a long period of time before it started to lose its popularity.
Have you been an owner of a 5th-generation Honda Civic, or still own one? Let us know about your experience of keeping this car.
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
