Honda Automobiles: Honda Civic Si

With their advanced unibody engineering, the greatest use of high-strength steel in model history, and a wide array of advanced passive-safety features, like the rest of the 2017 Civic model range, the new Si Coupe and Si Sedan were designed to achieve a superb level of active and passive safety performance. This applies to the vehicle occupants, as well as for the occupants of other vehicles and other road users, including motorcycle and bicycle riders and pedestrians.

Passive-safety features such as advanced front airbags, SmartVent® front side airbags, and side curtain airbags with rollover sensor help protect occupants in a collision. In addition, the extensive use of high-strength steel and advanced crash engineering features, including the Civic Si’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure and crash stroke front frame rails help better protect occupants in a collision while minimizing weight for superior fuel efficiency. Civic Si Sedan gains tailor-tempered B-pillars and rear frame structures.

Key Safety Features

  • Next-generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure with new crash stroke design
  • Hot-stamped ultra-high-strength steel door rings and sills
  • Multi-Angle Rearview Camera
  • Seatbelts with Crash Locking Tongue
  • Honda LaneWatch™

Top Safety Ratings
The Civic Si Coupe and Si Sedan were both engineered to earn top-class collision safety ratings. In particular, these include a 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP. These ratings include the significant goal of achieving a Good rating in the latest IIHS small overlap frontal crash test.

Crash Safety Ratings

Pedestrian Injury Mitigation Design
Structures in the front of the 2017 Civic Si are designed to help absorb energy in the event of a collision with a pedestrian. Research by Honda shows that the following features can dramatically improve a pedestrian’s chance of survival if struck by a moving vehicle.

Specific pedestrian head injury mitigation features include:

  • Hood is designed to deform if contact is made with either an adult or a child pedestrian
  • Sufficient clearance exists between the hood and hard engine parts, allowing the hood to deform if impacted by a pedestrian
  • Windshield base has a unique section structure for efficient impact energy absorption
  • Energy-absorbing fender mounts and supports
  • Breakaway windshield wiper pivots
  • Deformable hood hinges

Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) with Traction Control
Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) is an Electronic Stability Control system that works in conjunction with the Drive-by-Wire™ throttle and 4-channel ABS systems to enhance control capability while the vehicle is accelerating, braking, cornering or when the driver makes a sudden maneuver. VSA functions by applying brake force to one or more wheels independently while also managing the throttle, ignition and fuel systems to help the vehicle maintain the driver’s intended path of travel.

The VSA system constantly analyzes data from sensors that monitor wheel speed, steering input, lateral and longitudinal G forces and yaw rate. It compares the driver’s control inputs with the vehicle’s actual response. Whenever the actual response falls outside of a predetermined acceptable range, VSA intervenes with a corrective action. For instance, if VSA detects an oversteer condition, the system may apply braking force to the outside front and rear wheels to counteract the unintended yawing effect. In the event of understeer, VSA may apply braking to the inside rear wheel while reducing engine power to help return the vehicle to its intended course.

VSA also provides a limited-slip differential effect for the front wheels by applying braking force to a slipping wheel, thereby redirecting driving force to the wheel with more traction. VSA is calibrated to function in a near-transparent manner, and in many cases the driver will not even be aware of its operation. However, anytime the system is enhancing vehicle stability, an indicator light flashes in the instrument cluster. While the driver can reduce the traction control effectiveness allowing more wheel slip during stuck condition by pressing the VSA button, ABS remains fully operational at all times. (See the Chassis section for more information.)

Motion-Adaptive Electric Power Steering (EPS)
Motion-Adaptive Electric Power Steering (EPS) is standard on 2017 Civic models, including the Si Sedan and Si Coupe. The system incorporates driving stability technology that initiates steering inputs that prompt the driver to steer in the correct direction during cornering and in slippery road conditions. Using vehicle speed and steering angle data, Motion-Adaptive EPS works with Honda’s Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) and Electric Power Steering to detect instability in slippery road conditions both during cornering and under braking and automatically initiates steering inputs aimed at prompting the driver to steer in the correct direction. This advanced technology supports the driver’s action in operating the vehicle more safely and comfortably.

Two examples of how Motion-Adaptive Electric Power Steering (EPS) functions in conjunction with VSA are:

  • Stabilizes Vehicle under Braking
    This function helps to correct the driver’s steering input to reduce vehicle instability when the driver is braking hard on road surfaces with varying friction coefficients (such as pavement that is partially covered with dirt or snow).
  • Mitigates Understeer and Oversteer
    To mitigate potential understeer or oversteer situations, the system helps correct the steering inputs to help the driver trace the curve.

(See the Chassis section for more information.)

Brake Assist
A function of the Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) system, the Brake Assist feature recognizes emergency or hard braking situations and almost instantly applies added braking force. This Brake Assist feature is controlled by a special logic in the system that evaluates the pedal application rate and force to recognize a panic stop situation. At that point, the VSA modulator pump increases braking pressure while the pedal is still being pressed to ensure maximum stopping force, an action that can help shorten braking distance.

Advanced 4-Channel ABS with Electronic Brake Distribution
The Civic Si Coupe and Si Sedan are fitted with 4-wheel disc brakes with 4-channel anti-lock braking (ABS). The ABS system also incorporates Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) circuitry that automatically proportions front-to-rear brake force based on the vehicle’s dynamic load on each wheel. Larger front brake disc dimensions and a larger master cylinder improve stopping performance and pedal feel. (See the Chassis section for more information.)

Crash Locking Tongue
The Civic Si’s front seatbelts use a “crash locking tongue” latch plate design that locks the webbing in place during a collision, helping to restrain the occupant. During normal driving conditions the seatbelt webbing moves freely through the latch plate in the normal manner. However, in the event of a collision, forces exerted on the lap and shoulder sections of the seatbelt push the webbing against a “reaction surface” inside the latch plate, locking the webbing in place.

Advanced Front Airbags
Both the driver and front passenger are protected by advanced front airbags (i-SRS). Like other Honda vehicles, the driver’s front airbag is located in the steering wheel while the passenger airbag is located on the top of the dash. When deployed, the passenger airbag inflates upward and then rearward to maximize its protective potential while reducing the likelihood of injuries caused by airbag deployment.

Driver’s Spiral Airbag 
The 2017 Civic Si Coupe and Si Sedan incorporate spiral stitching into the driver’s front airbag. The spiral nature of the airbag promotes early restraint and maintains a constant pressure by reducing volume early and maximizing volume later in deployment.

Front Passenger’s Safety Vent Airbag
The passenger’s front airbag in both new Civic Si models feature a safety vent system that increases safety for the front passenger in a frontal collision involving an airbag deployment. If the passenger is sitting “out of position” – such as leaning forward in the pathway of the airbag deployment – the auxiliary vents remain open, directing a significant amount of gas out and away from the occupant. As a result, the potential for injury from the airbag striking an out-of-position passenger is reduced. However, if the passenger is correctly seated, the airbag has an internal tether that will close the auxiliary vents at the necessary time to provide optimal occupant restraint.

Driver and Front Passenger Side Airbags
Side airbags mounted in the outboard area of each front seatback are designed to help provide pelvic and thorax protection for the driver and front passenger in the event of a severe side impact. The side airbag design allows the side airbags to deploy in a manner that helps mitigate the risk of injury to a smaller seat occupant.

Side Curtain Airbags
All outboard seating positions are protected by side curtain airbags with a rollover sensor system. In the event of a severe side impact, the side curtain airbags deploy from modules in the roof, providing a significant level of head protection in the window area. In the unlikely event of a rollover, a roll-rate sensor, along with multiple G sensors, determine the rate of roll and deploy the side curtain airbags accordingly. The side curtain airbags will also deploy and provide head protection in frontal impacts as necessary. For example, small overlap impacts, where the front corner of the vehicle collides with a solid object.

Whiplash Mitigation Front Seat Design
Both of the front seats are designed to help mitigate the severity of neck injuries in the event of a rear impact. In the event of a rear crash, the seat efficiently disperses rear impact forces against the occupant as the seatback cushion compresses relative to the occupant’s head. The seatback springs are optimized so that in a rear crash, when the seatback is pushed forward into the occupant, the seat will absorb the occupant’s mass in manner that can help minimize the severity of a whiplash injury.

Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH)
All Civic models, including the Si Coupe and Si Sedan, are equipped with a child seat-mounting system called LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren). Both of the second-row outboard seating positions are fitted with dedicated LATCH lower anchor attachment points. Tether anchors are provided the remaining middle seating position.
The LATCH system provides two lower anchors and an upper tether anchor. When used with a compatible child seat, the LATCH system provides attachment points between the child seat and the vehicle seat without having to use the vehicle’s seat belts.

Additionally, all seat belts except the driver’s are equipped with a locking retractor that can be used to help secure any child seat. Both rear side doors are also equipped with childproof door locks for added protection.

Multi-Angle Rearview Camera
All 2015 and newer Honda models, including the 2017 Civic Si Coupe and Si Sedan, incorporate a multi-angle rearview camera. Viewable on the vehicle’s 7-inch Display Audio touchscreen, the camera can show a normal view (130 degrees), wide view (180 degrees) or top view, when the transmission is in Reverse. Dynamic guidelines project the vehicle’s path based on the driver’s steering inputs. (See the Interior section for more information.)

Safety Features

 

 

(See the Specifications and Features section for all data.)