The only reason the Honda Civic crowd has a decently fast car is from weight and low drivetrain loss. If you look at the power curves generated by the stock engines its fairly average. If you want to see a quick car you would be amazed by my friends geo metro. That thing is wicked fast and handles decently.
Look at the Miata, 1.6l engine yet it regularly will dominate auto cross events.
You tell me one reason why the civic stands out, its a purpose built car that is VERY BASIC. Its meant to be a cheap reliable commuter not a speed demon. Tell me one cool feature that a civic has (Ill give you vtech)
A 1.5l with about 100hp and 100tq is decent, for a commuter. I think you need to look up the specs on the Subaru Pleo. It has 4 engine configs to make sure you see them all. With CVT and such a light body, the civic gets its ass kicked.