The Driver - Winter 2016 Winter 2016 | Page 5

hustle when you want it to. Its steering may feel a little heavier than previous models, but with its wider, more aggressive stance, there is little doubt who’s in charge once in motion. In fact, after driving a couple of models each for a week, it’s hard to upset the almost deceptively conservative chassis. Even the entry level DX (available only in Canada) should be shown some respect. It offers a six-speed manual transmission. However, Honda Canada representatives have told us that we can expect more Civics—including those equipped with the 1.5-litre turbo—to offer an optional stick shift in the future. Development resources for now are focused on bringing out the other Civic variants. While the new six-speed gearbox doesn’t feel quite as pleasing as the one in the 2016 Accord Sport, it’s far from sloppy, with clearly defined gates and short throws. While it’s true as we stated earlier this is a vehicle that, to this writer at least, will cross many different demographics, the marketing team at Honda are taking aim squarely at 18 to 35-year olds using convenience, connectivity and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now equipped on all EX and above trim levels and link seamlessly to smartphones. For the first time since the very first two door model appeared in showrooms acros