Honda’s Civic gains ‘S+ Shift’ technology
Simulated gearshifts were first used on the brand’s Prelude.
Honda has introduced its new S+ Shift technology to its Civic hybrid.
First used on the Prelude, S+ Shift recreates the sound and feel of an eight-speed gearbox in the single-speed Civic. Accessed via the steering wheel-mounted paddles, the system allows drivers to ‘shift’ gears just as they would in a conventional automatic gearbox.
The S+ Shift system will even recreate the effect of engine braking when downshifting and will apply a rev-matching throttle ‘blip’ as would be the case in a sports car gearbox.
It’s all accompanied by Active Sound Control (ASC), which recreates the sound of a combustion engine. It’s linked to the S+ Shift system so that each gear change is matched by an authentic sound.
To go with the upgrade, Honda has also increased the equipment levels available on the Civic’s Sport grade. It now gets an upgraded Bose sound system, while on the outside there’s a new gloss black roof-mounted ‘shark fin’ antenna. Inside, there’s contrast red stitching for the front seats, centre armrest and steering wheel.
A new exterior paint finish has been added to the Civic range, too, with Meteoroid Grey Metallic one of five premium colour options available.
All cars within the Civic range get a new driver monitoring camera equipped as standard, which will sound warnings if it detects that the person behind the wheel is distracted.
Prices for the revised Honda Civic hybrid start from £34,325, and it’s available to order now.