Honda has been busy evolving their tenth-generation Civic in an attempt to keep it abreast of the new challenges it faces within the competitive, if sometimes over-looked mid-sized hatchback segment.
Changes for the new 19MY Civic include smoother front and rear bumpers and changes to the plethora of grills that dress them. The new model we came to try is being called the EX Sport Line. There also comes a new rear spoiler.
The new car is being marketed as a sort of cheaper alternative to the highly acclaimed Type R. A Civic that is worshipped better than the Sermon on the Mount by Jesus [citation needed] Except with the Type R, it’s more about how immoral it is.
The EX Sport Lines on offer for testing were fitted with either the slick 6-speed manual or new CVT gearbox. This CVT replaces the conventional automatic with its confusing push button selector. Instead, the new CVT is fitted with a standard stick shift as you’d find in a normal automatic.
Driving
Fitted with a plucky 3 cylinder petrol that pushes out a respectable 126 PS from a 1-litre capacity. Now this engine might not be what you would be expecting to see fitted considering the Sport Line is a type of Type R alternative but let us just remember that this is a Civic that mixes everyday drivability without the heart attack.
Torque outputs alter retrospectively between the 2 transmission types with the manual having 20 Nm more at 200. On paper at least you could say you shouldn’t notice with outright performance figures being so close. That said, it did feel like the CVT was a little lethargic to shift unless you selected |sport| mode and then it would alter.
Inside
Inside sees changes to some textured panelling on the dashboard and the supportive seats. Racy red stitching is used to further heighten the racing appeal of the Sport Line.
Where major changes have been made is within the new climate controls and stereo system. Main changes are the addition of buttons to help navigate the often criticised complicated screens. These now allow the most used sub-menus to be reached with one button.
It is just a shame that the satnav detailing isn’t up to spec. Thankfully this can be avoided with Apple Car Play and Android Auto. I used Android and it worked very well.
Living With It
It really comes down to what type of driver you are. The Civic is a car that comes highly recommended and you’ll find it has a legion of fans out there no matter what model they drive.
So if you are a more enthusiastic driver then the manual will whet your curiosity to explore a random B road to its limits. The CVT won’t disappoint that much but you will have to work it that much harder and it’s not that rewarding to do so. As a competent commuter car that will sit in the daily grind of the A-B traffic, it will be of great comfort that the cog swapping is left to the machine.
Verdict
The majority of the changes Honda has carried out haven’t really altered much to the Civic and there really wasn’t any need to do this anyway. The Civic has always been an accomplished car as both a driver’s car and a striking visual.
We did ask about the change to a CVT gearbox. Honda was quick to point out its economy benefits and value for money in being able to offer an auto system cheaper than the system used previously. That aside, I personally feel it is a step backwards when Honda has progressed the Civic forward with the MY19 model.
With that in mind, you will find this Civic being recommended, but just think about what type of driver you are before parting with your money.
VW has just launched Passat 8.5. In a market packed with over-inflated SUV’s, you could be forgiven for thinking the Passat was no longer with us. Truth is, it’s still an important model to VW and has been with us longer than the Golf.
This mid-sized saloon hasn’t had the greatest starts in life if you include it past DNA and in that I’m talking about the ill-fated 411 and 412. VW couldn’t let go of that rear-engine layout and as a result, made a car that was out of date before it even started back in 1968.
Europe was changing and it was all about engines at the front and luggage at the back.
VW fought back with the purchase of NSU and Audi. Soon the Audi 80 was badged as the Passat and in 1973 in an array of models similar to the Audi, the Passat was born. Unlike the Audi, the VW had a fastback look about it in a hatchback configuration.
In 1981 the B2 MK2 Passat was born. Unlike its stablemate from Audi, the B2 80 had been born much earlier in 1978. What VW was to do was to take the style of the 80’s sporty sibling, the GT coupe and turn it into their new Passat. Somewhat cheeky it has to be said but what this meant for the VW driver was a car that looked like the Audi Quattro rally weapon with all the practicalities of a Golf. The hatchback body remained and was only available as a Volkswagen.
Fitted into this Passat and here for us to look at today is the 5 cylinder 2-litre engine. This 1988 GL5 model was packed with innovative ideas made it top of the range. The 5 cylinder, fitted with fuel injection meant performance and power. It developed 115bhp at a thundering 5400rpm. Torque was a useful 164Nm at 3200rpm. And this figure would plague you because this all-conquering model was mated to a 4+E gearbox.
The Audi That’s A Volkswagen
This gearbox was Volkswagens attempt at making the car economical on a run. 4th being an overdrive and 5th being even more of an overdrive lowering the engine revs to an all-time low. This really did make 5th a gear a cruising gear. And it worked. On the urban cycle, it would return a normal 25.9 miles per gallon. Absolutely nothing to shout about but at 56mph you could get 47.1mpg and that meant you could travel some great distances on one tank of fuel.
Sadly you wouldn’t get close to that figure for one reason with that 5 cylinder engine up front. Forget the screaming sounds of V8’s or the silky feel of a V6. The straight 5 in the VW sounded like a budget Audi Quattro. The same Audi Quattro that you would hear on BBC’s Grandstand rally reports spitting fire. It was a sound that blew you away and in the Passat GL5, it blew you away even if it didn’t go quite as fast or spit fire from the exhaust. You see, it sounded fast. The engine felt amazing and it made you feel great.
The drive and handling were set more for a luxury liner than a sports car. Spirited driving wouldn’t give you the full point and squirt of the Quattro and this is where your Quattro Passat ends but it’s also where Passat starts. The Passat GL5 was about distance cruising and it managed to do that well. Back to back with German cars of the time, this Passat has a distinctive French feel about it. It floats and cossets you like a Citroën. There is a massive amount of Germanic harshness missing. Its like has never been seen again from Volkswagen.
Was it expensive in that way Volkswagens were in the ’80s? Considering its relatively scarcity back then, it really wasn’t any more costly to buy that the top sellers in the market. For your £9356 you could save a grand and buy a Vauxhall Cavalier GLS or for about the same money, buy a loaded up Ford Sierra Ghia. Now, this was the problem for the Passat GL5. CAR magazine told you to buy the Cavalier. They said it was the better car but we all knew the GLS was the tops. It even came with alloy wheels and tinted glass. The Sierra rubbed its horse brass in your face with the badge of Ghia. A badge that stood for the top of the range.
Introverted German Style
VW didn’t really shout out about their conservative Passat. The only car they did shout about was the Golf GTI and even then that didn’t quite get the fanfare it was worthy of. Volkswagen liked to keep it quiet, almost introverted. In the words of a Victoria Wood burger sketch from her one-off show, An Audience with…, “the introverts burger, it’s just a serviette but they don’t like to say anything”
This was VW’s way. And a shame because despite the lacking of glitz and glamour, the inside of the Passat GL5 was steeped in plush velour everywhere. The carpets had a quality shag about them and it felt solid. And the inside niceties didn’t stop there. You had all-round electric windows with ergonomically challenging switches on the door or centre console. Fitted like an afterthought, the switches were at least taken from the modern VW switchgear. The rest of the switchgear was dated clicky switches from the last generation of Volkswagens.
The Passat has continued to shine as a product for VW and all generations have retained some element of DNA from this very model. The one thing, thankfully, they haven’t taken is the awful offset steering wheel. Perhaps that’s why VW didn’t want to shout about the Passat?
There’s an oasis in Central London where time stands still, that is full of vivid colours and wonderful aromas, a place where you can just forget about the outside world, your troubles, politics, and just release.
The oasis is The LaLit London – a very unique and luxurious Hotel.
Situated right between Tower Bridge and City Hall, The Lalit also has an amazing restaurant – Baluchi – a Pan Asian food lovers delight which serves a contemporary take on Indian Dishes – food that is inspirational, divine, delicious and colourful. But more on this later.
The LaLit is one of the leading privately-owned domestic hotel brands in India, with 12 luxury hotels, palaces and resorts. The hotels are in Mumbai, Bangalore, Jaipur, New Delhi, Eastern Kolkata and Chandigarh; palaces in Udaipur and Srinigar; and the resorts in Goa (Golf & Spa Resort), Kerala (Resort & Spa Bekal), Khajuraho (Mangar and Temple View). It’s sole London location is the LaLit Group’s first venture outside India, and it’s one amazing place.
Opening in 2017 – The LaLit London was formerly the St. Olave’s Grammar School (from 1855-1967), a stately red brick building that, from the outside, in its neo-Baroque style, still has this appearance. (Lambeth College occupied the premises from 1968 until 2003). And inside, the rooms have not been tampered with architecturally so the former gym, offices and classrooms are still intact. And in keeping with the Grammar School theme, the rooms are named as such including the Headmasters room which is an annexed seating room next to the bar – which is called the Teacher’s Room (presumably where the teachers hung out back in the day), to the hotel rooms which are called ‘Classrooms’, and The Naanery (Baluchi) where the menu is entirely dedicated to naan bread, which was the Assembly Room back in the day. The school theme is throughout the hotel in keeping with its history.
And the rooms come in all shapes and sizes, with high ceilings. Suites large and small, from the Lalit Legacy Experience with three rooms, to The LaLit and Lambeth Suites, to the Thames River View Suite (with of course is a panoramic view of the river), and to the Tower Suite, which is part of the original tower of the building. Smaller rooms, called Classrooms, will more than match your budget.
All rooms are cosy, intimate and offer an elegant stay. And the rooms come with the usual hotel amenities but also a high tech toilet, heated bathroom floor, safe, Kronokare bath products including lotions, shampoo, conditioner and bath gel that have an amber fragrance that will take you to the forgotten ancient times of Rajasthan while the sweet and spicy tones of vanilla and spices will pamper your senses. Rooms also include Flat Screen televisions (I had a hard time getting mine to work – the remote control was temperamental), a collection of travel books, and in the bathroom more amenities including shoe polisher, comb, dental kit, shave kit, vanity and sewing kits, robes and slippers, and a scale. The beds are super comfortable, and the pillows even more so. It’s these extra little touches that make a stay here very enjoyable and memorable. But it’s the ambience, and atmosphere, the smells, and the colours that will make your stay an amazing one.
The LaLit is a very relaxing place, from the earth tone colours of the interiors of the hotel to the star pendant light fixtures throughout that give the place an Indian glow. The hotel is smoke-free and includes a 24-hour fitness centre and spa in the basement for all your pampering needs. A 24-hour desk is also available, and the views of Tower Bridge, City Hall and the amazing environs of this very unique part of London is right at your doorstep.
And then there is Baluchi restaurant – a destination all on its own. Their menu takes inspiration from the major food regions of India to carefully craft an elegant cuisine, which is made from the finest organic ingredients. And the room, the Naanery, is one of the most stunning dining rooms in London. A blue hue coloured ceiling gives the room a soothing glow, with wood-panelled walls for that very extra special and unique touch. And the food is divine. It was my second visit to this restaurant and the food was just as good this time as it was last time. The menu, continuing with the school theme, include a Beginning Term 1 (starters), Mid Term (mains), and Term Break-School Holidays (dessert) sections.
I can’t recommend enough, and am still thinking about it days later, the Kaffir Lime Chicken (starter) – it was perhaps the best taste of chicken I have ever had. Three pieces of tandoor roasted free-range chicken were perfectly cooked – nice and brown on the outside and perfectly white on the inside – and delicately placed cashew crumble along the side – made this a dish to die for, and it’s only £9.50. Also very good, and a good deal at £21.50 – was my Lamb Shank Gushtaba. Cooked with fennel, cashews and saffron, the shank was not spicy at all and was a very large portion, coupled with masala mash to make the dish a meal in itself, with the lamb amazingly tender and chunky. My dining companion had the Bharwan Zucchini (£9) as a starter – one small dumpling-like courgette with masala soya sauce, curried coconut curd and pickled garlic. It was good but not great value for the money – unlike the chicken. His main was the Aubergine Steak – three large aubergines with coconut sukka and spiced tofu mince placed on top, and cooked with Malabar sauce. It’s a nice vegan dish, with a bit of a kick – but a bit pricey at £16.50. The mango and coconut Naan was to die for – two large pieces at only £4.00 with the flavours just the right combination. And on to the desserts, the Saffron Infused Tandoori Pineapple was nothing special, with slices of tandoori cooked pineapple on the bottom of a chunk of cardamom ice cream (which was good) – at £7.50. The Raspberry and Chocolate Tart – expensive at £12.00 – was a large chunk of chocolate with pistachio sprinkles with sorbet – and was heavy. Other dessert choices that might tickle your fancy include Chocolate Mousse or the Ginger and Mint Cake.
We had a couple of drinks – mine was the Kheera Khazana – at £10 a glass it was fresh cucumber, lemonade, elderflower syrup, and fresh lime and was sweet and refreshing while my friend had a martini which was served to him accidentally incorrectly – but he drank it all. The staff at the restaurant, and including the hotel, are all nice and professional and go out of their way to make your dining experience, and stay, perfect. This included the next day at breakfast where they brought me anything I wanted, and also pointed me in the direction of the buffet. The English breakfast was very very good, and so were the pancakes (yes, I ate all of this), and the buffet had just the right amount of food from cold cuts to fruit to plenty of juices and pastries. There is also an Indian Breakfast if this tickles your fancy – including Indian style scrambled eggs, a Bombay Masala Omelette and Masala Dosa (a type of pancake made from fermented batter with potato filling) to Medu Wada – a deep-fried Latin dumpling served with sambar and coconut chutney. And if you live locally you get %15 off – however, leave the dog at home. Also, the restaurant and bar can also be hired for weddings and ceremonies.
The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group promotes inclusivity and welcomes all with open arms. The Group launched the Elphie books with the Drag Queen Story Hour – to share Elphie’s journey through understanding and embracing self to empowering others. And in their hotel magazine, The LaLit Insight, LGBT issues and articles are included, and in London, they regularly hold gay-friendly events including their NYE party which was hosted by a slew of drag acts. A great time was had by all. The Group not only advocates inclusive policies, but also adapts them as well for their 100 or so LGBT+ employees.
They also have India’s first Inclusive Loyalty program for same-sex and different-sex couples. And for Valentine’s Day The LaLit London offers a romantic five-star dinner accompanied by the sophisticated ambience of the Matthew van Kan Jazz Trio, where Chef Jomon has created a special Valentine 5 course meal. Expect to be treated with the perfect amalgamation between European and Indian cuisine. Guests will enjoy stylish dishes to share with their partners as well as individual plates for the perfect harmony. Tickets are £80 each.
The LaLit and Baluchi experience are perfect for the traveller and foodie. They both capture the essence of sophistication – they are an oasis, and what an oasis they are.
