April 11, 2025 ZhouGuifeng

Winning So Much It Was Forced Into a Higher Class: A Generation of Civic

Original: Honda誌 - JDM Car Fans Magazine - 2025-04-10 16:50:01

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For younger car enthusiasts like me, many of us probably watched Initial D during our childhood. The anime was essentially a promotional reel for high-performance Japanese cars. Whether it was about vehicle specs or tuning potential, it was all clearly explained. My first impression of the car in this article also came from that show.

I still remember in the first season, the protagonist had a particularly dangerous "duct tape death match," where one of his hands was taped to the steering wheel to limit control, increasing the challenge. 🚗 The point of this was to force the driver to control the car using body dynamics (essentially drifting). His opponent in that match was the fifth-generation Civic SiR. Under the protagonist's halo, the 86 won easily...

But in reality? Would the AE86 really stand a chance against an EG SiR on a real track? 😏 Without any suspense? I seriously doubt it. Looking at many domestic Japanese racing records from the era when EGs were eligible, its only real competition came from the AE101 or FX. EGs made up the majority of the top five. Sure, it's understandable that Shuichi Shigeno and Keiichi Tsuchiya had feelings for Toyota. But the real racetrack is different from fiction. An AE86 driven by a driver of similar skill and mods probably wouldn’t even keep up with an EG’s taillights. 💡 That’s the truth enthusiasts need to recognize.

🏆 This was also the first Civic since the third-gen AT to win Japan's Car of the Year Award.

The fifth-generation Civic debuted in September 1991. Unlike the EF generation, it featured a sleeker body and had fewer chassis codes—just EG, EH, and EJ, corresponding to different body styles like hatchback, sedan, and coupe. Its changes were significant but often misunderstood. Because of its low and wide three-door hatchback look, many assumed it was a true performance machine. 🔧

But here’s the twist: it was mainly designed for better aerodynamics and fuel efficiency, not for high speed thrills. 💨 The body also used lightweight materials, contributing to improved efficiency. So let’s bust the myth—EG's silhouette is more about saving fuel than burning rubber.

🔍 Key changes in this generation included body shape, size, feature upgrades, and improved chassis and engines.
Honda’s real goal? People treated the Civic like a sports car, but they overlooked that it was built as an economy car first. The rounded design served fuel efficiency, not just aesthetics.

This generation only had three body styles:

Three-door hatchback (EG/EH)
Four-door sedan (EG, called Civic Ferio in Japan)
And for the first time, a two-door coupe (EJ) made for the North American market.

The wagon version (Shuttle) from the EF era was discontinued 🚫. In Japan, the EJ coupe was considered a reverse-import and not JDM in the purist sense.

One notable derivative model was the futuristic CR-X DelSol, known in North America as the Civic DelSol.
The EG coupe (EJ) was built in the USA 🇺🇸, while the EG9 (sedan) continued strong in Japan.

🛞 The three-door hatchback’s wheelbase increased from 2500mm to 2576mm, while the sedan went to 2620mm, improving ride comfort.

Weight ranged from 920kg (hatch) to 1110kg (sedan).

In North America, the four-door was simply called the Civic Sedan.

🧳 A standout feature was the split-opening rear hatch—glass up, gate down. Super handy for picking up small items without opening the whole boot. Even my girlfriend loved it: “I want one!” 😍

Later models introduced modern comfort and safety features:

Optional airbags and ABS at first
Dual airbags and ABS standard in later variants
The design could be summed up as: bigger, rounder, safer, and more fun.

💡 Civic’s hidden power has always been its handling.
The EG retained the front and rear double wishbone suspension from the EF, but with longer travel to improve ride quality. The downside? It responded less sharply—but it was a trade-off Honda engineers had to accept.

The rear suspension reduced cargo space, which was the cost of better handling.

🔩 Engine Options:

1.3L SOHC – D13B
1.5L with/without VTEC – D15B
1.6L DOHC VTEC – B16A on the SiR

🏁 Fuel-saving tech peaked with the D15B VTEC-E, featured on the VX model in North America (as D15Z1).

Max torque: 133Nm @ 4500rpm
Max power: 92hp @ 5500rpm
This was the first VTEC system using roller rockers, offering better efficiency and a clever 3-phase valve strategy.

⚙️ SiR Performance Model

1992 was Civic’s 20th anniversary, and Honda launched the SiR to mark the occasion.
It had:

4-wheel disc brakes
A second-gen B16A engine
Smoother mid-range power delivery
Redline raised from 8000 to 8200rpm
Compression ratio bumped from 10.2 to 10.4
Output increased from 160PS to 170PS 🔥

Surprisingly, Honda even released an automatic version (SiR AT) with 155PS—an option likely aimed at female enthusiasts who wanted style + comfort. 💁♀️

In Europe, this was badged as the VTi.

🏆 Track Dominator

EG dominated Group A racing to the point that it had to be forced into the 2000cc class, competing with Pulsars and BMWs.

In 1992, EG6 and EG9 replaced the EF in JTC racing
Race-tuned B16As made up to 230PS
Used by the famous JACCS team 🏁

By 1994, new JTCC rules allowed only four-door sedans, so the EG6 retired, but EG9 continued on—and dominated so hard it got bumped up a class.