Can this really be a Honda Civic? I had to look twice at my test car. It's certainly a change from the conservative Civic shapes of the past - but a welcome one for all of that. Honda aim to reduce the average ownership age of Civic buyers with this model and I certainly think they'll do that. The more I looked at this car, the more the sweeping lines grew on me.

It's adventurously styled inside as well as out. The dashboard is designed on two levels, the main instruments housed on the nearer one with a surrounding 'tier' that includes auxiliary functions like stereo, heating, ventilation and trip meter. This sophisticated, three-dimensional feel to the fascia is backed up with quality materials and interesting textures. One of the things I liked about the previous generation Civic was how big the cabin was. When I heard that the exterior dimensions of the new design had shrunk, I opened the door expecting the interior to be more cramped. Not so. In fact, Honda claims that room inside is just as generous as before. How so? Well, like the Jazz, the Civic features a fuel tank that's centrally mounted along the cross member below the front seats. This means that the seats in the rear can fold flat and there's no intrusion into the cargo bay floor. Borrowing technology from the innovative FR-V, the Civic also features seats that fold and flip with one smooth action. Clever. Safety's pretty important to me - as to many Family Hatchback buyers. The old Civic built much of its reputation on being one of the safest cars in its class and this car looks to continue the theme. With new body structure and subframes, recessed pedals, double pretensioners on the front seatbelts and side curtain airbags, this Civic has achieved a Euro NCAP five star result for front and side impact safety, three stars for pedestrian safety and four stars for child protection safety.

The interior is spacious and comfortable - but perhaps not quite roomy enough to steal sales from the larger Mondeos and Vectras. It would certainly win my vote over other hatchbacks. The driving position is exemplary, the sweet-shifting gearbox and careful dashboard design distinctly favourable. The boot is a family dream, large and easily accessible, even with your hands full. And the car is comfortable, even if it were fully loaded with three adults, two children and half the toyshop. The entry level powerplant is an 82bhp 1.4-litre petrol unit, with a 139bhp 1.8-litre petrol engine offering a bit more punch. The flagship engine of the range is the 139bhp 2.2-litre diesel unit I tried. All are mated with a six-speed manual gearbox, making the Civic the first car in the family hatch sector to be equipped with six-speed gearboxes across all of its range. If you're interested, the 1.8-litre petrol and 2.2-litre diesel powerplants are assembled in Swindon, while the 1.4-litre engine hails from Japan.

The latest Honda Civic is a great car for taking on a picnic, dashing round town or powering down the motorway for a business appointment. Yes, I would happily make room in my drive for one. 7th September 2008