One of the models that paved the way for Japanese cars into the hot hatch territory was the Civic EG.
For some, this EG doesn’t mean anything. But these initials were used for the fifth generation of the Honda Civic and especially for the three-door version.

It was offered with a wide range of engines, from an economical 1.3-liter with carburetor to a powerful 1.6-liter VTEC engine. For the American market, though, the base engine was the 1.5-liter unit while the Europeans had received the 1.3-liter engine. Both base engines had similar outputs with 70 hp for the 1.5 and 75 for the European 1.3-liter.

But the Honda Civic wasn’t just about economy and the car won the hearts of many customers due to its sporty VTEC engines. With a 1.6-liter displacement, the EG had a version with 160 hp in Europe, which was called the VTI. Its performance numbers are great even today with a 0 to 100 kph (0-62 mph) acceleration time of 7.3 seconds and a top speed of 215 kph (133 mph). Screaming engines at 8000 rpm also were a specialty of the Japanese carmaker.

Inside the vehicles, the design was rather dull. There was a time when Honda used to offer either air conditioning or a sunroof, but not both of them in a car. Other than that there weren’t any special features inside apart from the plain seats, a gear stick and a steering wheel.