Honda’s Civic Tourer has already impressed AM with  its on-paper economy, but it stacks up as an affordable purchasing proposition too – thanks to eye-catching PCP offers.

Seemingly tailored to benefit potential owners of the frugal Civic Tourer i-DTEC, Honda’s PCPs offer 36-month terms with monthly repayments as low as £199.

Operating at the same 5.9% APR as an i-VTEC S offer over 36 months (£209 a month), those plumping for the 1.6 i-DTEC S will have to make a £3,653.38 initial payment to yield monthly repayments £10 cheaper than its less frugal stablemate.

The  final repayment is £8,976.87. A 10,000-mile annual limit and 6p per mile excess mileage rate applies.

In the EX Plus specification tested here, the Civic’s premium kit means potential owners will have to stump up £5,566.98 initially to return a £289 monthly repayment. This time the final payment is £10,762.18, with an excess mileage rate of 7p per mile.

However, that still positions the Honda well against premium rivals.

Available for a similar on-the-road price to the Civic Sport Tourer EX Plus, the range-topping Skoda Octavia Estate Laurin & Klement, equipped with a 148bhp, two-litre TDI engine, retails at  £27,665.

A £4,149.75 initial deposit, boosted by a £1,000 dealer deposit contribution, results in 35 monthly PCP payments of £352.54 and an optional final payment of £10,176.30.

A 10,000-mile annual limit applies, with an excess rate of 6p per mile.

Similarly, Volvo’s 118bhp V60 D2 R-Design (£29,645) presents a larger outlay. A £6,218 deposit is backed by a £500 manufacturer contribution and a £4,000 dealer contribution, but a similar 37-month contract results in £309 monthly payments – some £20 more expensive than AM’s Honda.

A final payment of £10,900 for the Volvo comes hand in hand with a 14.9p-a-mile excess mileage charge on the 10,000-mile-a-year limit.

It seems the PCP deal is Honda’s weapon of choice. Even in the premium grade featured here, reasonable deposit contributions equate to affordable monthly repayments.

Combined with the i-DTEC’s eco credentials, the finance offerings make the Japanese load-lugger a key player in its market.