6th Gen Civic – The start of something new

6th gen Civic

Honda has been a mainstay of the car world for a while and while today they may be among the most trusted brands in the world and have created some of the most iconic road cars, they had humble beginnings. Chief amongst their rise to acclaim was the Honda Civic and in particular the 6th gen Civic. The car was already a big hit in Japan and it was time the world learned of Japanese engineering excellence. The sixth generation of Honda Civic, which ran between 1995-2000, was the most iconic iteration of the car to grace the streets; at the time, of course.

The car came in three variants, a three-door hatchback, a two-door coupe, and a four-door sedan. The sixth generation of the Honda Civic was a phenomenal car. It worked on the strengths of the previous generation and refined the interiors and performance. Honda maintained the same good build quality and style. The company also addressed the one main complaint from the previous generation, the road noise.

The 6th gen Civics’ platform was the sedan from the previous year, which meant that the car maintained could maintain the longer wheelbase. At the time the Civic was loaded with features. Airbags, four-speaker setup power windows, mirrors, and Aircon. Down-the-line upgrades such as central locking and square headlights were added to give the car a more versatile appeal.

The car was given the choice of three 1.6-liter four-cylinder engines the cars were able to deliver a crisp 118 bhp and a peak torque output of 106 lb-ft. You could also opt to put in the behemoth VTEC engine that produced a stunning 158 bhp and 109 lb-ft of torque. In terms of performance, the 6th gen Civic produced enough to overwhelm a lot of other cars in the category. The car is great on the roads and feels agile, even today!

The car’s reliability was simply superb and you could run it for a very long time without much issue. You can easily cover over a hundred thousand miles and now the car is available at a discounted price.

6th gen Civic Si

The 6th gen Civic Si came back into the fold during 1999. It was a coupe-only version and the Type R moniker was given to the car in certain regions and its reputation soared. The Si was the badge given to the car in the US. Subsequently, all future generations of Honda Civic received the Si branding. The car could do a 0-60 in 7.1 seconds, which was blistering at the time. The car used the DOHC VTEC engine that delivered 160 bhp and had a peak torque output of 111 lb-ft.

The engine’s build was slightly different from the highest version of the VTEC engine offered by Honda. The engineering differences helped the car eke out just a little more horsepower and torque. Despite the increments in the engine, the fuel economy remained as is, a win for Honda. The appeal for the car was even more profound due to this. The production cycle was short and people’s love for the car went through the roof.

The car had noticeably different innards as compared to a regular civic. Stiffer springs, anti-roll bars, and a tower brace helped the car achieve better cornering. The car was available with a five-speed manual transmission, got disc brakes, and got an upgraded exhaust. Aesthetic changes were minimal. The 6th gen Civic was already loaded with features and the Si version added more. You got 15-inch tires, low-profile and ride, painted side sills, an extended array of color options, a CD player, cruise control, A/C, sunroof, and tilt steering. You also got a keyless entry, a leather steering wheel, and a red instrument cluster with SI branding.

6th gen Civic Type R

The Type R tag has been famous for decades now and the first car to feature the tag was the 6th gen Civic. The moniker had expectations along with it, Honda wanted the car to be the high-performance version of the 6th gen Civic. The car was introduced as the EK9.

It came with noticeable improvements and weight reduction. You got a hand-ported B16B engine, a limited-slip differential, and a close-ratio transmission. The engine was the most remarkable feature of the car. It has one of the best power outputs per liter for a naturally aspirated engine. It produced a stunning 182 bhp with a displacement of 1.6-liters. The car also had a max torque output of 118 lb-ft. The result was a car that could perform better than some sports cars!

The car also featured a seam-welded monocoque chassis. The rigidity improvements were noticeable as the car was far better on tighter corners. For the full sports experience, you also got red RECARO bucket seats, floor mats with Type-R branding, titanium shift knobs, leather wrapped steering wheel and red door cards.

Given the performance orientation of the car, it could do a 0-60 in 6.7 seconds and a quarter-mile in 15.3 seconds. Both figures were great for a car of the Civics’ stature. The top speed of the car was stated to be around 140 mph.

Conclusion

The 6th gen Civic was a car that ushered Honda into the consumer market of the United States with fervor. The 6th gen Civic sedan was a car that appealed to the hearts and minds of American consumers. The car was great in many aspects. It brought a fresh design, superb dimensions and space, and most importantly peak performance.

It was unlike a consumer car in this price range to offer good performance and the 6th Gen Civic sought to defy that idea. The 6th gen Civic Type R was a car that aimed towards the performance-hungry crowd. It built on the excellent platform of the Honda Civic and improved it by leaps and bounds. Even today, years after the car came to grace the streets of America, the 6th gen Civic remains a great car. It may lack in modern features but the fuel economy and spirited performance numbers, more than make up for it.

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