The New Honda Civic Si

A high-spec new variant of the Honda Civic 5-door goes on sale from September 2009, giving the popular British-built hatchback even sportier looks.

The new Si grade will be available across the entire 5-door Honda Civic range, in all engine variants and transmissions. The 1.4-litre Si model will wear Graphite coloured 16-inch alloy wheels while higher-powered 1.8 petrol and 2.2 diesel Si Honda Civics will sit on 17-inch Graphite coloured alloy rims.

All Si variants will have colour-coded bumpers, front fog lights, a Type R-style mesh front grille and dark chrome door handles and fuel cap - like that on the Championship White Type R. Inside Honda Civic Si models will get half leather upholstery to continue the sports theme, plus a USB port for iPod connectivity.

The Si has been designed to appeal to the Honda Civic's increasingly youthful customer and those who want sporty looks with the practicality of a 5-door. And because the Si grade is available across the Honda Civic 5-door range, those on a smaller budget can also enjoy the Si's distinct looks.

The Honda Civic Si 1.4-litre i-VTEC will go on sale later this year (date to be confirmed), followed by the Honda Civic Si 1.8-litre i-VTEC and Civic Si 2.2-litre i-CTDi.

Three metallic exterior paint colours are available on the new grade: Alabaster Silver Metallic, Crystal Black Pearl, Deep Sapphire Blue Pearl, plus Milano Red as standard.

Honda Civic Si grades are priced at £850 RRP over the SE grade

•Honda Civic Si 1.4 i-VTEC Manual - £15,800 OTR

•Honda Civic Si 1.4 i-VTEC i-SHIFT - £16,600 OTR

•Honda Civic Si 1.8 i-VTEC Manual - £16,835 OTR

•Honda Civic Si 1.8 i-VTEC Automatic - £18,160 OTR

•Honda Civic Si 2.2 i-CTDi Manual - £18,305 OTR

The Honda Civic Si 1.4-litre manual delivers good fuel economy of 47.9mpg and CO2 emissions of 135g/km. When paired with the i-SHIFT transmission it delivers improved fuel economy of 49.6mpg and reduced CO2 emissions of 132g/km.

Meanwhile, the Honda Civic Si 1.8-litre manual has CO2 emissions of 155g/km and fuel economy of 42.2mpg. All 1.8-litre engine Civic 5 door models are available with a classic automatic 'box that was introduced early this year, and in Si guise will deliver 169g/km and 38.7mpg respectively. The Civic Si 2.2-litre (manual) achieves CO2 emissions of 139g/km and fuel economy of 53.3mpg.