The new Honda Civic has arrived, and not a moment too soon.

As distinctive as the previous model was, it had undoubtedly started to show its age dynamically, aesthetically and qualitatively.

The latest generation, the tenth, is a much-needed and significant improvement in every single area. Honda have retained the familiar wedge-shaped profile but the new model is lower, wider and longer, emphasising its squat, purposeful stance.

The front overhang is short, while the front bumper is dominated by large air intakes. The front light clusters are connected seamlessly by the grille, helping to project a wide, sure-footed stance. Depending on the trim level the Civic will be equipped with either LED or halogen headlights. All models are fitted with LED daylight running lights

A swage line bisects the front and rear door handles before continuing to the rear of the car where it blends into the distinctive C-shaped rear light clusters.

A second, bolder crease, this one starting just aft of the front wheels and flowing up through the doors to meet the rear wheel arch is designed to create the impression of forward momentum.

At the rear the bumper wears sharp creases and sculpted air outlets to continue the sporty theme prevalent throughout the rest of the exterior styling.

Though the changes are many, the overall effect is one of evolution, rather then revolution. Perhaps no bad thing when the Civic has long been something of a break from the relative norm within the segment.

Under the skin the Civic sits on a new unibody platform, the result of Honda’s largest single model development programme that has resulted in a platform that’s 16kg lighter and 52 per cent stiffer than the previous generation.

Greater use of high strength steel has resulted in a reduction in mass across the entire body frame.

Not wanting to rest on their laurels Honda’s engineers set themselves the target of building a Civic with class-leading dynamics and comfort.

It rides on MacPherson struts at the front and, for the first time, a multi-link set-up at the rear. The fuel tank has also been given a new, more traditional, home beneath the rear seats rather than below the fronts. That’s allowed Honda to drop the driver’s hip point by about 35mm and lower the cabin floor, resulting in a centre of gravity that’s 10mm closer to the ground.

Anyone who has found themselves sitting in a previous generation Civic, however briefly, won’t fail to notice the radical changes made to the interior. Gone is the layered dashboard, replaced instead with a far more traditional, ergonomically satisfying, arrangement.

At the heart of the new, more focused, cabin is a seven-inch touchscreen running the second generation of Honda’s Connect infotainment system.

Garmin provide the sat-nav nous and there can be no complaints about either its functionality or accuracy. You also get one HDMI and two USB sockets, a DAB tuner, Bluetooth handsfree and audio streaming, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, all sending sound to an upgraded eight-speaker audio system.

The touchscreen is complemented by physical controls – one each for audio, home, volume up and down, menu and back – down the right side that are hampered by the requirement to apply a considerable amount of pressure to operate.

A significant step up in the calibre of cabin materials is evident, although there are some areas where lower-grade plastics are a tad more obvious than, perhaps, in some of the Civic’s rivals but the ambience within the passenger space certainly reeks of greater quality.

What is also immediately noticeable is the huge amount of space – relatively speaking, of course – that the increase in length and width has liberated.

While the repositioning of the fuel tank has benefitted the Civic dynamically – the lower driving position will please keener drivers – it has meant that the Magic rear seats are no more.

While we’re in the rear, it’s a wondrously spacious area in which to find yourself cocooned. There’s head and leg-room aplenty, even for taller than average adults.

Further back and the boot also manages to impress, with a capacity of 420 litres with the magic-less rear seats in place, improving to 770 litres with them folded away. The floor is flat with easy access thanks to a decent boot opening.

The Civic continues to impress once you’re on the move. , particularly in corners where the new car is much more composed than the previous model.

Refinement is greatly improved too, with a much quieter, better insulated cabin ensuring that the Civic excels over longer distances too.

The steering has a nice, consistent weight, although there isn’t an abundance of feedback, but it does offer a welcome degree of directness that allows to exploit the excellent levels of grip available.

The car never feels anything less than planted, dispatching tight bends and broken surfaces with ease. The gearshift has a sweet, short action that provides a pleasant level of involvement when the driving is a little more enthusiastic.

Performance from the 1.5-litre turbocharged four cylinder petrol engine is impressive, although it really only comes alive once you’ve passed the 4,000rpm marker – and all the way up to the 6,500rpm red line – but, when it does, it does so with an intoxicating eagerness.

Lower down the range and the engine is a little more subdued, with a slightly more relaxed attitude to changes in pace.

The new generation Honda Civic is a vast improvement.

There are a couple of minor niggles. The quality of some of the cabin materials remain a little suspect and the usability of the infotainment system could do with a little more polish but the cabin and boot are both comfortable and practical, with generous equipment levels and a much-improved driving position.

The ride is refined and provides enough athletic prowess and performance, in Sport Plus trim, to push the Civic comfortably into warm hatch territory.

At the heart of it all is the1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. It as a peach of a propulsion unit and, despite the inclusion of a turbocharger, still shares some welcome characteristics with the much-loved naturally-aspirated VTECs of old and, for anyone old enough to remember, that in itself might just prove persuasive enough to splash out on a Civic.

Honda Civic 1.5 VTEC Turbo Sport Plus Manual

Price: £25,405

As tested: £25,930

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Transmission: 6-speed manual

Max power: 182PS

Max torque: 240Nm

Max speed: 137mph

Acceleration (0-62mph): 8.3sec

Urban: 38.2mpg

Extra urban: 57.6mpg

Combined: 48.7mpg

Emissions (CO2): 133g/km

For more information visit www.honda.co.uk