The eighth generation of the compact-car Honda Civic stunned the world with its bold design.
The sharp-looking car received the nickname “Bullet” in the UK or UFO in some other parts of the world. The door handles had a special angular design, despite the market trend to flush them to the bodywork.

Compared to the 5-door version, the Type S had two larger doors and a small side window for the rear passengers. On the liftgate, due to the high beltline, the Japanese designers installed a big rear window split with a horizontal lip that includes the third brake light.

For the suspension, Honda ditched the independent rear suspension for a more conventional torsion beam. The solution was adopted in order to install the “Magic Seats” system, which allowed the rear seats to be folded up if someone would want to transport a taller object. They also moved the fuel tank under the driver’s seat. These solutions were highly criticized by the Honda community around the world. The higher seating position and the “jumpy” rear suspension were below the previous generation qualities.

For the drivetrain, Honda installed two gasoline engines and a turbodiesel. While the latter was a 2.2-liter, the other two were of 1.4-liter and 1.8-liter, respectively. For the transmission, a 6-speed manual was fitted as standard and a 5-speed automated version was available for the gasoline engines. It had a single-clutch electronically controlled system. Later on, a conventional 5-speed automatic gearbox was installed.