Mk5 Civic

Allegedly inspired by fish, the curvy design of the youthful Mk5 Civic still looks fresh.

However prices were high and the pursuit of weight saving materials saw a drop in refinement levels, exacerbated by the three-door’s rattly split-door hatch.

The model range expanded. There was the base 55kW 1.3L Breeze three-door hatch, volume selling 74kW 1.5L GL and sporty 96kW 1.6L twin-cam Si hatchbacks and sedans and – from mid-’93 – a safety and super-economy special 66kW 1.5L VEi sedan.

Only the latter survived the late ’93 round of revisions, which now read: 67kW 1.5L Breeze hatch, 74kW fuel-injected GLi hatch and sedan and 96kW 1.6L VTi hatch and sedan.

The ‘V’ designation refers to Honda’s engine efficiency enhancing variable-valve timing (VTEC).

Value-added “Special Edition” versions appeared in mid-’95.

The unsuccessful Mk3 CR-X “Del Sol” was based on the Mk5 Civic.