?2016 Honda Civic Touring Coupe?
Stylish, Refined and Fun to Drive Tenth Generation Coupe

With 43 years under its belt the Civic happens to be the longest ?running nameplate in Honda?s history, it was introduced in the U.S. in 1973. The Honda Civic is also the largest selling model globally for the Japanese manufacturer, having sold nearly 35 million worldwide. Approximately 75 percent of the Civics sold in America since 1991 are still on the road today, and nearly 7 million of the 10 million Civics sold in America have been produced at Honda?s U.S. and Canadian plants, with North American production beginning in 1986 in Marysville, Ohio.

The first power source for the Civic was a revolutionary CVCC (Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion) engine. The Civic has continued to evolve over its nine generations, and has consistently focused on setting the bar for fuel efficiency, driving performance and design innovation in an affordable compact-class vehicle.

That first Civic was nothing to shout about in terms of its design, but with the introduction of the 2016 Civic model lineup, the styling has adopted a dramatic and emotionally stirring persona, representing one of the most comprehensive and ambitious new-model developments ever undertaken by Honda, and requiring an unprecedented commitment of R&D resources and Honda engineering expertise.

This tenth generation Honda Civic Coupe is built on an all-new architecture displaying a sporty and upscale new interior and exterior design with a higher quality, more spacious cabin, two new advanced engines and an impressive inventory of new premium features and technologies.

For the 2016 model year, the Civic is available in five trim levels: the base LX, the EX, an EX-T, an EX-L, and top of the line Touring.

Motive force comes from one of two engines: an all-new 2.0-liter, DOHC, 16-valve i-VTEC, in-line four-cylinder base engine that replaces the Civics? previous SOHC 1.8-liter engine. The 2.0-liter engine delivers 158 horsepower at 6,500 rpm along with 138 pound feet of torque at 4,200 rpm. Next is a 1.5-liter DOHC, 16-valve, direct injected turbocharged powerplant that cranks out 174 horses at 5,500 rpm, while developing 162 pound feet of torque in a range between 1,800 and 5,500 rpm. The 1.5-liter engine features Honda?s Earth Dreams technology. Transmission choices include a 6-speed manual gearbox, or one of two Continuously Variable Transmissions. One is a refined version of the CVT offered in the previous generation Civic, while the other is an evolution of the CVT offered in Honda Accord 4-cylinder models.

The new Honda Civic presents a bolder, more athletic and aggressive look than ever before, with its aerodynamic form and flowing lines. Up front is a new signature chromed ?wing? fascia with available LED lighting. The profile displays a streamlined form that rises dramatically from front to rear. Aft, the LED ?light pipe? taillights reflect the wing design motif of the headlamps, and a rear lip spoiler finishes off with a sporty flair for EX-T and above trims.

My test 2016 Honda Civic Coupe came in Touring trim with the 1.5-liter, turbocharged four-banger and LL CVT transmission. It wore an extremely bright exterior finish of Energy Green, complemented by a Grey and Black Interior. The base sticker was set at $26,125. While the Destination and Handling Charge bumped the final tally to $26,960.

SUMMARY: This latest 10th Gen Honda Civic Coupe in Touring trim is a breath of fresh air and is arguably the best Civic yet, with its boldly appealing styling, sporty performance and advanced technologies.

The list of standard fare features and equipment is most impressive and too extensive to note here, with a host of enhancements available for individual personalization.

For the most pleasing and sportiest performance, the 1.5-liter turbo powered Touring model Civic is obviously the way to go for either the Coupe or sedan, but the 2.0-liter powered four-Banger is certainly nothing to scoff at.

The ride quality is firm, stable and planted, yet comfortable for both models. The handling characteristics are sporty with responsive steering, encouraging driving in a spirited manner.

Bottom line, the 2016 Honda Civic Coupe is more than simply ideal transportation now, it?s a most attractive, fun-to-drive and affordable vehicle that definitely raises the bar considerably higher than preceding model Civics.

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Arv Voss is a Northern California based freelance motoring Journalist and member and past officer of several noted Automotive Journalist organizations who contributes regularly to a number of national and international media outlets. He reviews not only cars, trucks and SUVs, but motorcycles and unusual wheeled vehicles as well.