The hatchback brings with it two main demographics that tend to part with their cash more than anyone else in society the very young and the very old. For the old, a shiny hatchback represents an economical, safe and pleasant way to get to and from the shops, bingo and church. The Honda Civic range has been king of the grey-haired brigade for decades and brings with it an unassuming, sensible and reliable transport solution for getting from A to B.

For young people mostly males with fluff stuck to their upper lip, the Honda Civic and it’s hatchback rivals represent the cheapest way of getting a car, insuring it and then thrashing it to within an inch of it’s life every night in a McDonalds car park. The fun doesn’t stop there either. Since the initial conception of Max Power magazine in the early nineties, car modification has gone through the roof. Even Hollywood has got in on the act with the Fast and the Furious trilogy seeing more neon lights in cinema car parks than an Ibiza club.

Much like the punk movement, it’s the DIY aesthetic of personalising your car from a million different options and standing out from the crowd that appeals. With its bullet proof reliability and extensive catalogue of performance and styling parts, the Honda Civic has simultaneously become the favoured choice at both ends of the circle of life but for very different reasons.

Read the rest of this entry »