The Best Civic In Pakistan..

Civic is Honda’s most successful model & the oldest competitor to the largest selling car of the world, the Toyota Corolla. Before the launch of Civic in 1972, Honda was thinking of pulling out of car manufacturing altogether. The Civic was their first big hit on the automobile market and kept Honda in the car making business.

Since then, Civic kept improving after each successive generation and today it is considered as a concrete choice in its class. Honda recently launched the 10^th generation of Civic in Pakistan, however this is the fifth generation of Civic which is being assembled locally.

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Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan Limited, a joint venture between Honda Motor Company Limited Japan, and the Atlas Group of Companies, Pakistan was incorporated back in November 1992 & their first vehicle, which was the 5^th gen Civic, rolled off the assembly line in May 1994.

Each Civic assembled in Pakistan is loved by a vast number of consumers, based on varying preferences including drive quality/ comfort, looks/ aesthetics, performance & handling etc. The launch of new Civic is always well anticipated and creates a stir in the market.  Below is a brief intro on the Civics assembled in Pakistan by Atlas Honda, based on your experience & preferences you can vote (at the end of the post) as to which is/was the best Civic in Pakistan, considering the above mentioned points, the one with the greatest “wow factor” and according to you was the greatest head turner of its time.

5^th generation Civic (1994-95)

The 5^th gen Civic equipped with a 1500cc carburetor engine was undoubtedly one of the most loved shapes of Honda Civic in our country not just because of the visual aesthetics, but the tremendous room for modifications it offered. Interestingly the 5^th generation Civic was produced for the shortest period of time compared to all the models produced in Pakistan. In January 1996 it was replaced by the 6^th generation Civic in less than 2 years time.

More interestingly the car got immensely popular once the “Fast and the Furious” movie was released in 2001, as the 5^th gen Civic enjoyed great resale value for a long period of time.

6^th generation Civic (1996-2001)

Launched in January 1996, the 6^th generation Civic was the greatest head turners of the market with its bold crystal headlamps and aggressive & sporty styling. Already been awarded with the ‘Car of the Year’ award in Japan, the 6^th gen Civic was the first locally assembled car to boast variable valve timing technology. It came with a choice of 1.5 liter and 1.6 liter engines. Three years later in January 1999 the 6^th generation facelift Civic was launched and it made its award-winning predecessor look dull. Often regarded as one of the most beautiful Civic to be made, the 6^th gen facelift was also the first locally assembled Civic to offer sunroof in its oriel trims.

7^th generation Civic (2001-2006)

The seventh generation Civic was launched in March 2001. Initially it took some time for people to adapt to the newer design language of the car. Having replaced the gorgeous 6^th generation facelift, the 7^th gen slowly grew its place among consumers’ hearts. Compared to its predecessor, it retained similar exterior dimensions, but increased significantly in interior space. The suspension was also changed from a double wishbone to MacPherson struts, in order to lower costs. In 2002, Toyota launched the much awaited 9^th generation Corolla and it came with features missing in the 7^th generation Civic, such as the optitron meter cluster, beige interior and LED tail lamps. Honda introduced these improvements in the pre-facelift 7^th generation Civic since the Civic carried a grey interior, lacked optitron meter & missed out the LED back lights.

In 2004, the 7^th gen facelift was launched and it changed the personality of the car altogether. The facelift was again one of the best looking Civics to be available, often regarded as ‘eagle-eye” the 7^th gen facelift was widely appreciated by consumers although there wasn’t any significant change at the rear-end of the car. 7^th generation was also the first Civic to carry Honda’s Prosmatec transmissions.

8^th generation Civic (2006-2012)

In July 2006, Honda launched the eighth generation Civic in Pakistan. The car was bigger than the previous Civics in almost every aspect. It carried a 1.8 liter 140bhp engine, the biggest ever offered by Atlas Honda in terms of displacement, as well as power. 8th generation Civic introduced the “two-tier” instrument panel with digital speedometer & opposite moving wipers etc. Honda used the word “Reborn” for their marketing campaign of the vehicle and it became so popular that the word got permanently associated with this generation of Civic.

Eighth generation Civic was produced for the longest period of time as compared to all locally assembled Civic models. It was launched in July 2006 and was produced till September 2012 (7 years & 2 months) before being replaced by the ninth generation Civic. 8^th generation is highly regarded due to its acceleration, drive quality, looks and a futuristic interior, and was undoubtedly one of the greatest head turners of all time.

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9^th generation Civic (2012-2016)

Ninth generation Civic was launched in September 2012, equipped with Honda’s Eco Assist technology, an information system to help the driver adopt a more fuel-efficient driving style. Exterior wise it had a very stylish front while rear-end was sort of a compromise. Like the 8^th gen, it also had a “two-tier” instrument panel, while the interior looked more like a refined 8^th gen interior. Other plus points include better sound insulation, good ground clearance and better visibility for the driver. However the 9^th generation wasn’t a successful Civic in international markets and had a relatively short production life.

In Pakistan also, unlike its predecessor the 8^th gen Civic which was available for more than 7 years, the 9^th generation was replaced in just under 4 years. Despite this the 9^th generation had better sales figures in Pakistan compared to the 8^th gen Civic.

10^th generation (launched 2016)

The most anticipated Civic ever, thanks to social media. 10^th generation Civic (also known as Civic X) was launched in July 2016 and has started to make its appearance on roads. The car has already grabbed several automotive awards around the world and has started to impress the people of Pakistan. The 1.5 liter Turbo version is the catch, it’s the first locally assembled Civic to come equipped with a turbocharged engine. The new Civic X is also the first local Civic after 10 years to offer more than one engine. Although it’s also the most expensive local Civic ever, the pre-bookings does show how much craze people have for a new Civic in Pakistan.

Vote for your favorite Civic:

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UsmanAnsari

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