With a 1,169 cc transverse engine and front-wheel drive, the car provided good interior space despite overall small dimensions.

[3] Initially gaining a reputation for being fuel-efficient, reliable and environmentally friendly, later iterations have become known for performance and sportiness, especially the Civic Si, SiR, and Type R versions.

It became one of the most influential automotive designs of the 1970s, with the Volkswagen Golf (1974), Ford Fiesta (1976), and Fiat Ritmo (1978) showing similarities as transverse-FF, truncated-trapezoidal hatchbacks occupying a size niche between minicars and compact sedans.

In Japan, the Civic was the first fully modern compact car in the European style, offering a level of prestige never before seen in this class in the market.

The Civic quickly inspired Japanese domestic manufacturers to respond in kind, with models like the Mazda Familia AP, Daihatsu Charade, and Mitsubishi Mirage.

In Japan, as customers increasingly shifted to minivans and compact cars like the Fit, production of the non-hybrid Civic ended in August 2010.

It was equipped with a 1,169 cc (71.3 cu in) four-cylinder water-cooled engine and featured front power disc brakes, reclining vinyl bucket seats, simulated wood trim on the dashboard, as well as optional air conditioning and an AM/FM radio.

The Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion (CVCC) engine debuted in December 1973, with a head design that allowed for more efficient combustion, and as a benefit the CVCC system did not require a catalytic converter or unleaded fuel to meet 1975 Environmental Protection Agency emissions standards for hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide.

1984 also saw the release of a high-performance Si model for the Japanese market, featuring upgraded suspension and the 1.6 L (97.6 cu in) double overhead camshaft (DOHC) ZC engine which was rated at 130 PS (128 HP).

The manual transmission featured a synchronized 6th gear, called "SL", or "Super-Low", which was used for high torque at very low speeds.

A four-door version called the Ballade was built, under agreement, by Mercedes-Benz South Africa, models were 1300, 1500, 1500i and 1600i DOHC 1.6 injection.

While the redesign retained the previous generation's exterior dimensions, interior space was improved in part by using a flat rear floor thus bumping up Civic to a compact car size segment.

In North America, coupe and sedan body styles were available, except for the Si (SiR in Canada) which was offered only as a three-door hatchback.

In the United States, an improved, sportier version of the Civic Si 4-door tuned by tuner Mugen was offered, featuring cosmetic alterations and changes to the suspension, wheels, slight exterior differences, and exhaust system.

[24] The model was developed during the height of the global financial crisis, which led Honda to believe that consumers specifically in North America would be willing to forego upscale content and quality in new vehicles as long as they were fuel efficient and affordable.

Following criticisms regarding quality and refinement,[25] Honda updated the Civic with new exterior and interior improvements in late 2012 for the 2013 model year.

The hatchback version saw its re-introduction in the North American market for the first time since 2000,[32] along with the first Type R model ever sold in the region, both imported from the UK.

North American sales began the same month, followed by Southeast Asia in August, Japan and China in September, and Australia and New Zealand in December.

The three-door hatchback body style has been somewhat unpopular in the United States, but has achieved wide acceptance in Canada, as well as popularity in Japan and European markets, helping cement Honda's reputation as a maker of sporty compact models.

Accordingly, all instances of the current model (left or right hand drive, anywhere in the world) are British-made cars designed with Japanese engineering, except for the US-built two-door coupe and the sedan version built in Brazil for the Latin American market.

In 1997, production of the sixth generation Civic sedan started in the Sumaré (a city near Campinas, in the state of São Paulo) factory.

The seventh generation production started in 2001, displacing the Chevrolet Vectra from the top sales record for the mid-size sedan segment, however it lost that position to the Toyota Corolla the following year.

[44] The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States has determined frontal crash test ratings of Honda Civics of different model years.

[45][46] The eighth-generation Civic sedan's crash test performance has been rated highly by both the U.S. government's NHTSA[47] and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Kelley Blue Book named the 2020 Honda Civic the Compact Car Best Buy for the sixth year in a row.

The drivers on Honda's team were Road & Track journalist Kim Wolfkill, Lee Niffenegger, Chad Gilsinger, Sage Marie, John Sherk, Rich Hays, Andrew Frame, Matt Staal and Car and Driver journalist Tony Swan.

In the same year Synchro Motorsport won the BTCC Production Teams Championship with a pair of Civic Type Rs.

[64][65] Andrew Jordan, driving for his family-run Eurotech Racing team, won the BTCC title in 2013 in their NGTC Civic, whilst Honda retained the manufacturer's championship.

The 2017 season saw the Civic achieve the most pole positions and main race victories, but the team missed out on title success partly because their championship-leading driver Tiago Monteiro was forced to miss the final rounds due to a testing crash caused by a brake failure, while other incidents also hampered their results that season.

[73] With 7.3 million bought in the United States,[23] it has been one of the top sellers in the country[74][75][76] and in the neighboring Canada, where it had placed number one for 14 years through 2012.