Honda launched its new Civic at the Frankfurt Motor Show recently. It is developed specifically for the European market and built in Britain. The Civic will be offered exclusively as a five-door hatchback when it is launched in early 2012.
The new Civic features an evolutionary exterior design which is complemented by a high quality interior finish. Honda says the designers of the new Civic wanted to keep the sporty and advanced elements of the car’s character, but tailor them to express the new model’s more dynamic feel. They have lowered the height by 20mm and increased the width by 10mm compared with the current car.
The Japanese carmaker told us that defining the correct proportions was the most important challenge for the design of the new Civic. Honda enhanced the sporty aspect of the design while creating a clean styling, resulting in a smarter image for the new Civic.
Honda says an example of this new image is the new rear combination light that works as an aerodynamic spoiler, managing air flow over the top and sides of the car.
The new interior is focused around the driver and creates a more sporty ambience. The quality look and feel of the interior for the new Civic has also been improved without compromising the class-leading space. Honda's designers say they have changed their approach to match customer expectations and European standards.
It also offers class leading boot space with the versatile seat combinations for excellent practicality.
To measure and demonstrate a commitment to the environment, Honda announced in June that it aims to deliver a 30 per cent CO2 reduction on all product areas by 2020.
The new Civic is the first step towards achieving this new target. The 1.8 litre petrol engine delivers a 10 per cent CO2 reduction. The 2.2 litre diesel engine reduces CO2 emissions by nearly 20 per cent, while further enhancing performance.
The i-DTEC engine in the new Honda Civic offers an exceptional combination of high performance and low CO2 emissions. Updates to the 2.2 litre i-DTEC engine, coupled with the new Civic’s improved aerodynamics, have produced a car with a power output of 150bhp that emits 110g/km of CO2.
A thorough analysis of the engine’s performance resulted in a number of improvements. The oil flow through the engine has been carefully managed to reduce circulation loss, while the build materials have been revised to reduce friction in the moving parts. All models fitted with a manual gearbox also benefit from idle stop technology which achieves a 5g/km reduction in CO2 emissions.
By the end of 2012, Honda tells us it will add a newly developed smaller diesel engine to the Civic range. Designed specifically for the European market, the new engine will further reduce CO2 emissions. Starting with this new smaller diesel, Honda will introduce a new generation of low emission engines, renewing all of its car engines in Europe.
From the first Civic to this ninth generation version, Honda says it has improved fuel economy, handling and comfort. It also claims it is more dynamic and stable, as well as being fun to drive.
Watch this space for more details on the smart new Honda Civic five-door closer to the Irish launch date.
