IT’S hard to think of many cars on our roads which have had a 45-year, uninterrupted run of production.

Manufacturers chop and change all the time, tweaking designs and relaunching even popular models.

But the Honda Civic has bucked that trend with a history stretching further back than even that of the British staple the Ford Fiesta.

Over this period, the car has had more image changes than Madonna, and the 10th guise is as eye-catching as one of Ms Ciccone’s concert spectaculars.

It’s infinitely sportier, with its low, wide stance, and lines and angles everywhere – it can lead to some double-takes wondering whether you’ve dented it but it just turns out to be a state-of-the-art design point.

Pentagonal fake grilles dominate the front and rear corners giving it a bit of a love-it-or-loathe-it look but I was firmly in the former category, especially standing next to the slightly staid-looking MK9 version.

Inside, gone is the old two-tier dash for something more logical and intuitive. The 1.0-litre Turbo SR (OTR for around £20,800) features a much-improved 7-inch Garmin touchscreen navigation and entertainment unit.

The SR model adds a leather-trimmed steering wheel and gear knob, automatic wipers, driver seat lumbar adjustment, power mirrors and a reversing camera for not a lot more money.

The driving position feels good and spacious too.

But fans of practicality will bemoan the loss of the old Civic’s famous ‘magic seats’, an upward-folding rear bench which made those trips to the tip a dream.

Its omission was a necessity as the fuel tank has been moved to accommodate the lower look but there is a trade-off in terms of greater passenger foot space and let’s face it, who uses a Honda Civic to regularly transport things?

And fear not anyway, as the boot is very large with a secret compartment underneath too.

There are only two engines available in the Civic at the moment. The 1.0 VTEC Turbo 129PS three-cylinder I tried offers punchy performance and decent economy (remember what a 1.0litre engine used to feel like and be agog), while the more powerful 1.5 VTEC Turbo 182PS four-cylinder offers more zip.

A1.6 diesel will launch towards the end of 2017, so expect an improvement on its predecessor’s achieveable 70MPG+ economy.

All in all, this refreshed and revitalised will see the Civic through to its 50th year in production, still competing at the top of its class.