• Low-set driving position will please keen drivers
• Dashboard is clear but rather dull
• Digital dials standard on all models

The Civic saloon’s interior isn’t a paragon of style, but it’s for the most part simple to use, well-built and comfortable, which will matter more to most buyers.

Its dashboard design is rather more conventional than the exterior styling, It’s all straight lines in here, in stark contrast to the wild and slightly tricky-to-use dashboards of its immediate predecessors.

A particular highlight is the standard digital dial pack. It sacrifices configurability and style for outright clarity, which is the way we’d choose any day of the week. It consists of a large, easy-to-read digital speedometer surrounded by a half-moon rev counter. Trip functions are accessed via the steering wheel controls, and the whole assembly is flanked with LED temperature and fuel gauges.

Build quality and materials in the saloon do feel a slight step down from the Civic hatchback. This may be an issue limited to our test car, but it could also be because the saloons are built in Turkey while the hatch is built in the UK.

Keen drivers will enjoy the Civic’s driving position, which is low-set and comfortable. And those who tend to hoard knick-knacks in their cars will be impressed by the generous glove box, large door bins and capacious centre cubby. It’s only cupholders that the Civic’s lacking, with just a single deep one up front.

Infotainment

The Civic’s infotainment is accessed through a seven-inch touchscreen, which does look a little small next to the increasing number of eight-inch-plus units fitted to some rivals. It’s well integrated, though, sitting almost flush with the dash rather than being perched on top of it.

It runs on a modified version of Google’s Android software – an operating system designed for mobile phones. Unfortunately, there’s nothing smartphone-like about the interface, as it’s unresponsive, packed with labyrinthine menus and is generally difficult to use.

The in-built satnav is provided by Garmin, and works well, but we’d recommend taking advantage of the built-in Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity instead.

Comfort

The Civic saloon has a fairly soft ride, which makes for slightly less body control than rivals such as the Ford Focus but brings the benefit of a cushy ride over pockmarked streets and on faster roads. Its loping gait helps it to really eat up the motorway miles, and the supportive seats aid that, though taller drivers might find that they lack a little under-thigh support.

At a cruise, the engines are refined, but the 1.0-litre turbo has a pronounced growl when pressing on. It’s not unpleasant, but definitely noticeable. Wind and roise noise are well contained, though, and vibrations insulated from the cabin.