Honda's attempts to unleash a new Civic upon the British public have been beset with delays, setbacks and tragedy. Initially due to arrive early in the New Year, the ninth-generation hatchback has endured the sort of hardship you would not wish on your fiercest rival.

The phrase "circumstances out with our control" is often associated with unscrupulous airlines that cancel flights at the drop of a hat. In Honda's case, however, only sympathy is called for. First came the devastating Japanese earthquake that claimed 16,000 lives, including one at Honda's research and development facility in Tochigi, 60 miles north of Tokyo.

Bosses at the Swindon plant, where the Civic, CR-V and Jazz are made, were forced to slash production by 50% as suppliers in the north of Japan were washed away in the resulting tsunami. Honda sent a delegation of 500 experts to the disaster zone for two months to help partners get back up and running. But, just when things looked like they were on track, this month's floods in Thailand devastated firms who supply microchips for the new car. Mass production had just returned to Swindon but staff were suddenly forced to return to a three-day week.

Read more: http://www.carkeys.co.uk/launch-review/honda-civic-2012