Honda has opened the order books on the 2012 Honda Civic with first deliveries expected to hit dealers in January 2012. The new range starts at an on-the-road price of £16,495 for the entry-level 1.4-litre i-VTEC SE rising to £26,595 for the range topping 2.2 i-DTEC EX GT - with the 1.8 i-VTEC SE splitting the pack at £17,995.

A six-speed manual transmission will be offered throughout the range with the 1.8-litre petrol model available with a five-speed manual. All cars will also be fitted with the ECON driving mode - as seen in the Honda Jazz and Insight hybrid models - while manual cars benefit from the addition of 'Idle Stop' (stop-start in Honda speak) for better fuel economy and emissions.

Four trim levels - SE, ES, EX and EX GT - will be available with the entry level car fitted with 16-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning and USB connectivity as standard. ES specification starts from £18,995 and adds cruise control, rear-view parking camera, Bluetooth telephone preparation, auto headlights and wipers and a leather steering wheel. For an extra £995 SE and ES buyers can upgrade to T-Grade, which adds integrated satellite navigation.

Civic EXs have satellite navigation as standard and gains leather seats throughout with the front two perches being heated. It costs from £21,745 for the 1.8-litre petrol engine and from £23,845 for the 2.2-litre diesel.

The final trim level is the EX GT and this adds all the bells and whistles. Front and rear parking sensors, keyless entry/ignition and bi-xenon headlights are new to the Civic range and are joined by returning favourites like 17-inch alloy wheels, panoramic roof privacy glass and auto-dimming rear mirror. Priced from £24,495 for the petrol and £26,595 for the diesel the EX GT range can also be fitted with Honda's adaptive cruise control and a collision avoidance braking system for an extra £1,900.

Paul Healy - 30 Sep 2011