If you're anything like me the words "Honda Civic" conjure up images of small hatchbacks that look inherently sporty and fit into a specific small-car niche.

But, it seems, I need to get with the times. The latest Civic - the 11th incarnation, remarkably, doesn't really look like a Civic at all - it's more akin to its former stablemate the Accord nowadays.

It was the last generation, the 10th Civic, that started to blur the lines between small hatchback and family saloon, and the styling was a tad divisive, making far more sense in the beefed-up Type-R than it did in the standard versions.

The latest Civic, however, makes sense straight away when you see it in its standard form. It's very grown up in its styling now. Not, by any means, mundane, but there's far less drama to the standard car's features than we've seen in the last few versions.

That's not to say it's not quite handsome, though. It looks good in light colours, which complement the black grille that wraps around the aggressive headlights. Styling at the rear is more forgettable, but the swooping roofline drapes over a large boot and a practical row of rear seats. I'll come back to that.

Aside from the styling, a return to a hatch-back boot, and the 35mm of extra length, the biggest change is to be found beneath the bonnet, because Honda's gone all hybrid with its new Civic, with a two-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor. Sounds predictable? It's cleverer than that though. The engine is mostly used for powering an electricity generator, but at motorway speeds it powers the wheels directly, which Honda says is the more efficient way to do things.

I'll be honest, I'm not actually clever enough to fully understand how this hybrid system works, but the people at Honda are, and that's all that matters. It's brilliant. The best hybrid system I've tested, in fact.

In day-to-day driving, you wouldn't really think it's all that different to a system in a more normal hybrid car, but the reality is it makes for some very impressive MPG figures - on a few long runs, 50mpg was a doddle, and I was able to coax it up to 60ish with a bit of light hypermiling.

Unless you go for the bonkers 320bhp Type-R, the hybrid system is the only option now, but once you drive it you'll understand why. Frankly, you'd be daft to opt for anything else. Diesel really is dead.

The interior is nice, too. There's a nicely-designed cockpit, with an un-fussy layout, plenty of physical buttons and very comfy seats.

While it's nice to see all these buttons, however, I did find the 10.2" touch-screen infotainment system a little low-tech. It doesn't even have wireless Android Auto and CarPlay, you have to plug a lead in.

The screen feels a tad too sensitive, and the buttons and controls on the side let it down. I'm not a fan of piling functions into a touch-screen, but it's nice when they don't feel the littlest bit "aftermarket".

The rear seat passengers will be nice and happy though, there's plenty of room and the low roofline won't bother six-footers. The seats aren't as clever as we've seen in some earlier Civics, thanks to the position of the batteries, but the boot is huge at 410 litres, and the hatch-style opening makes access to the luggage space a doddle.

It is, then, a really practical family car. It drives surprisingly well too. The hybrid system is mated to a CVT gearbox, which isn't something I like to see on a spec sheet but, true to form, Honda's given this a bit of a rethink too, and you'd never tell it doesn't have physical ratios to slot into.

It's not really a driver's car though. There's a welcome stiffness to the chassis, hinting at what the Type-R might be capable of, but the ride is set up to be soft and comfortable rather than dynamic and exciting.

Happily though, the trick hybrid system really doesn't hamper progress. And in town it makes so much sense. Despite it only having a 1KW battery, the car seems to want to default to EV mode more often than you'd expect, and this adds to the refinement.

It's one of those cars you can just enjoy the journey in, not having to think about how things are working, just secure in the knowledge they are. And I love it for that.

And then we need to talk about the price and trim levels. Because there's only one engine, choosing a Civic is remarkably easy. The range starts with the Elegance, at £34,995, then there's a Sport for another £1,500 and then a plush Advance at £39,795.

Even in the Elegance, the spec levels are quite generous, with things like adaptive cruise control, heated seats and LED lights. By the time you get to Advance spec, it becomes a very luxurious car indeed.

Honda buyers tend to be very loyal. There's no reason why they won't dislike this new Civic. In fact, it's a vast improvement over the predecessor, so I'm sure they'll be blissfully happy.

Is it enough to tempt people out of their Toyotas, Golfs, Focuses and Audis? It's definitely worth a look. It might not look all that exciting, and there's little to really make it stand out, but it's a marvellous car for long journeys, urban commutes, and it's as practical, safe and comfortable as any family car needs to be.

It could be argued there are more desirable cars out there for the money. But are they as good? Not necessarily. Sometimes it really is better to let your head rule your heart.

FAST FACTS

Model tested: Honda Civic e:HEV Advance

Price: £39,795

0-60mph: 8.1 seconds

Power: 143bhp

Economy: 56.5mpg (combined)

CO2: 114g/km