Honda reveals new Civic 19 | 09 | 2016
HONDA HAS REVEALED its all-new 10th generation Civic ahead of its official public unveiling at the Paris Motor Show. The car, which will go head-to-head with the Ford Focus, will enter Scottish showrooms early next year.
According to the Japanese car giant, the Swindon-built Civic — Scot Gordon Shedden races the current Civic in the BTCC — with the with the newcomer represents a significant step forward for the brand benefitting from the largest single model development programme in the company’s history.
At the core of the new Civic range are two all-new turbocharged petrol engines; initially there will be no diesel.
Honda says its bestseller will be the 127bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo, which can be paired with either a six-speed manual or CVT automatic gearbox. The more powerful 180bhp 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine will also be available with identical transmission options.
We’ll need to wait till closer to the car’s on-sale date next year for specific performance and fuel economy figures.
Because the Civic will be sold across 70 global markets almost unchanged, Honda will initially focus on the two petrol engines. That means we’ll need to wait till closer to the end of 2017 before we see the heavily revised version of the current 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel, but expect significant improvements in fuel economy and performance.
It’s also likely that a hybrid model will eventually join the range, which would pitch the Civic against its Japanese rival, the Toyota Prius.
The latest Civic is built on an all-new platform, which is 16kg lighter than the previous one.
Lower, longer and wider than any previous Civic, this 10th generation model, the production model is virtually unchanged from the Civic Prototype shown at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year. You even get the dual exhausts, which have been carried over to the Sport-spec version pictured here.
There will be a softer-styled version for the lesser trims, featuring less aggressive bumpers, but the Sport model is designed to act as a halfway house between entry-level cars and the forthcoming Type R.
The halo model of the range isn’t expected to go on-sale until next September, but it’s likely Honda will feature the car on its stand at Paris this year. We’ll also need to wait around 18 months for the more spacious Civic Tourer estate.
Honda says the cabin features more interior space, despite the fact the newcomer has a lower roofline. Significantly though, the wheelbase has been stretched by 30mm.
Sadly, Honda has been forced to ditch its clever Magic Seats and flat rear floor as a result of repositioning the fuel tank. However, there is a new compact and innovative sliding and removable parcel shelf.
Bootspace is on the large side, with a volume of 478 litres with the rear seats in place; that’s one litre more than the outgoing model, and significantly more than the VW Golf, which can take just 380 litres.
Inside the Civic’s cabin, there’s a completely new look, while quality fabrics and fittings have also been improved. There’s also a new electronic parking brake on the centre console which has allowed designers to incorporate a sliding armrest and deep central cubbyhole.
Out has gone the traditional dials, to be replaced by a TFT screen that can be customised to show everything from speed and fuel economy to sat-nav and media. The new Civic also comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Safe too is high on the Civic list, with Honda SENSING with collision mitigation systems such as emergency braking, lane departure warning and lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control and traffic sign recognition with intelligent speed assist.
Related: New UK-built Honda Civic heads to the US
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Jim McGill