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First impression: 2016 Honda Civic Turbo

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Honda Malaysia is currently on a roll, as their recently launched models has been very well received by Malaysians, including the Honda HR-V. For the quick first impressions, let’s take a quick look at the all-new 2016 Honda Civic Turbo.

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On paper, the 2016 Honda Civic Turbo is one of the most powerful forced-induction C-segment saloons out there, boasting 170 horsepower and 220 Nm from just 1,700 rpm, mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that drives both front wheels. Thanks to the turbocharger, Honda Malaysia says that the new Civic, in its 1.5-litre guise, can hit the century mark in just 8.2 seconds.

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But all of these are just numbers of a sheet of paper. Where the Honda Civic truly shines is when the driver is behind the wheel, as the driving experience of the Civic has always been its strong point.

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The new Civic excels in excellent road manners, as the Civic carves corners with ease, though the 215/50R17 Continental MaxContact 5 screams in protest. Even so, grip levels were aplenty and understeer was practically non-existent. With proper steering control, body roll is also kept at a bare minimum, which is impressive from a comfort-biased family sedan.

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Thanks to the gear-less nature of the CVT, power delivery is linear and consistent, easing overtaking maneuvers. Other notable features of the new Civic include its 7-inch Display Audio infotainment system, which we dicovered to be a dream to use thanks to its Android Auto compatibility. We were able to play music off my Nexus 6 and navigate to destinations using Google Maps, in addition to getting weather updates delivered to the display.

Stay tuned for the full review of the all-new 2016 Honda Civic Turbo!