At a long stage in the history of Honda, a station wagon played a secondary role. The situation changed in February 1996. The station wagon on the Civic Ferio model platform called the Honda Orthia went on sale. Orthia (in Russian, Ortia) is in Greek mythology the nickname of the goddess Artemis in Sparta, the daughter of Zeus and Leto, Apollo's sister. The Japanese nicknamed the car sports wagon or Sports Utility Wagon, which contributed to the powerful engines and the ability to install all-wheel drive. The exterior of the Honda Orthia is as energetic as the station wagon can be. A very expressive design element are large headlights.
The complex relief of the hood perfectly matches the overall elegant style. In unison made and grille, which partially comes on the front bumper, where there are small additional headlights. The energy of the Orthia look is also imparted by clear shading, running along the sides above the door handles. These lines are logically completed, resting on large blocks of the rear lights. The rear door, decorated with a stately spoiler, opens a wide opening for access to the trunk. On the rear window, to the left of the janitor, is a small hook that allows you to lift only the glass. The interior of the Honda Orthia is not as vigorous as its exterior.
The interior is very ergonomic. The central part of the front panel looks massive. Ventilation vents, an audio system and a microclimate control unit have found their place here. Below - an ashtray and convenient tray for all sorts of things. The selector lever of the automatic transmission seems disproportionately small, but its base is decorated with the only decorative detail in the cabin that imitates wood. The instrument cluster is clear and intelligible: it consists of a large speedometer, a slightly smaller tachometer, coolant temperature and fuel level indicators in the tank, the automatic transmission range scale and two “clusters” of control lamps.
Rear passengers are located on a wide sofa, where the third is likely to be superfluous. Sofa, if desired, can be folded, thereby obtaining a comfortable and roomy luggage compartment. In the trunk there is a net for securing cargo and a curtain. The cabin also provides a lot of "glove compartments" - both large and small. The range of power units offered two inline 4-cylinder DOHC 16-valve engines: a 1.8-liter B18B with a power of 140 hp. and a 145-hp 2.0-liter B20B.
Variants with the first engine were only front-wheel drive, but versions with a two-liter engine could be both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. Both engines were aggregated both mechanical and automatic transmission. The automatic transmission according to the Honda tradition had a kind of over drive mode - instead of a separate button, there are two drive positions here. In the first all transfers are involved up to the fourth, and in the second - only up to the third. Double independent lever type suspension is quite elastic and rigid, it contributes to more sophisticated handling characteristics.
In January 1997, the model was subjected to a minor cosmetic surgery, which touched the optics and some elements of the cabin. The model did not have any technical changes until June 1999, when, in addition to external changes, internal ones also occurred. A 1.8-liter engine disappeared from the range of power units. Only two-liter remained. But it also changed a little - the power increased to 150 hp. In 1998, a tuning modification was added with a distinctly sporty image.
Her salon is equipped with a dashboard made of carbon fiber and a leather steering wheel.
