New Civic will be built in UK 27 | 10 | 2015
HONDA'S NEW, DRAMATIC 10th generation Honda Civic, which will be built in Britain at the manufacturer's Swindon plant, is expected to boast stunning new looks. It will appear in Scottish showrooms in 2017, with prices starting close to the existing car’s sub-£16,000 price tag.
The release of the first images of the new Civic continue Honda's resurgence, following the Civic Type R, NSX supercar, Jazz supermini and HR-V supermini-SUV.
Set to go head-to-head with the likes of the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf, the 2017 Civic will use two new direct injection VTEC turbo engines.
The 201bhp 1.5-litre four-cylinder and 127bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder will both join the range and replace the current naturally aspirated 1.8-litre engine. Owners will also have the choice of six-speed manual or CVT boxes.
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It's also likely that a larger 2.0-litre turbo petrol will replace the current 1.8: the bigger powerplant will form the basis of the next Type R.
The new Civic will also be built on a new platform, and a new Tourer estate is likely to arrive in 2018. Soon after, the next Type R model — expected to have more than 350bhp squeezed under the bonnet — is scheduled to arrive.
Having moved production of the CR-V from Swindon to Ontario, Honda has ploughed more than £200million into its UK factory to ensure the Mk10 is the best it can be. Swindon will produce cars for the whole of Europe, plus a number of key global markets.
While Honda has yet to release official images of its new Civic, it gave us a strong hint when it showed the Civic Concept (pictured) as a two-door coupé at the New York Motor Show in April.
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Jim McGill