Honda Civic was named Motor Trend Car of the Year by the well-known magazine and North American Car of the Year award by an independent group of North American auto media.

And the new Civic was the “top pick” in the under-$20,000 sedan category by Consumer Reports magazine. Honda’s Civic has fresh, attractive, exterior styling, improved power and fuel economy, more standard safety features, spacious-feeling interior.

There are four models of Civic—sedan, coupe, hybrid and Si. All ride on the same front-wheel-drive platform and share many components. The sedan is the best-selling Civic version, because it appeals to the largest number of buyers—singles, couples and families.

Civic coupes come in three trim levels as the sedan—DX, LX and EX—and are powered by the same healthy-feeling 140-horsepower 1.8-liter single overhead cam four-cylinder engine with 128 lb-ft of torque at 4300 rpm. This is a new, larger engine than what has been in Civics in the past.

Fuel economy is a highlight in the compact-sized Civic sedans and coupes. Gasoline Civics are rated at 30 miles a gallon in city driving and between 38 and 40 mpg on the highway, depending on the specific model.

For real performance, there’s the Civic Si. This sporty coupe, which makes up some 14 percent of Civic coupe sales, has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with double overhead cams and i-VTEC that can generate 197 horsepower and 139 lb-ft of torque at 6100 rpm. This is the highest horsepower ever in a factory Si. The Si comes only with a 6-speed manual.

The Civic sedans are quieter inside compared with the Civic Si, and they’re noticeably quieter compared with their predecessors. Road noise, in particular, is muted in the four-door models compared with the Si with its sport-oriented tires. The new, power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering is more responsive in all Civics and can take a bit of getting used to. The Civic steering wheel is compact, and combined with the new, quick steering gear ratios. The new Civics are just a bit wider than their predecessors for a more comfortable interior, so seats are wider and more comfortable.

Interior plastics on the Civic have a quality appearance with a minimum of silver-colored accents. All Civic interiors now feature a more high-tech dashboard where the gauges in front of the driver are split between a curved arrangement up near the windshield and a lower group right behind the steering wheel.

Other standard safety equipment includes anti-lock brakes and Electronic Brake Distribution, which helps even out the braking force between front and rear wheels for more stable stopping in emergency situations. The new Civic also is the first with active head restraints, which are designed to help minimize whiplash injuries during a rear-end collision. These standard head restraints are in the two front seats.