New Civic debuts in Detroit
2011-01-11 08:14
CONTEMPORARY CIVIC: This is Honda’s new Civic show car, won’t be much different to the one at your dealer by the end of 2011.
At the 2011 Detroit auto show, Honda has revealed what both three- and four-door versions of its ninth-generation Civic offering will look like.
Whereas the current eighth generation Civic signalled a leap into the ergonomic unknown with its radical cabin architecture, the Detroit show cars have tidied things up a bit.
Exterior styling of the show cars should not change much for road car homologation, the key styling theme being a more aggressive appearance.
The four-door gains a more rakish nose, redesigned boot surface and new taillights as its most notable upgrades. LED illumination strips reside in the lower-bumper cut-outs too.
Civic’s three-door coupe cues similar styling changes to its four-door sibling, with its larger doors (obviously) and central exhaust the distinguishing features.
Improved hybrid
Honda’s obviously coy concerning the exact technical upgrades for the new Civic range, yet it has said a more sophisticated range of i-Vtec engines will be part of the mix.
The improved engine line-up will be buoyed by lithium-ion battery powered hybrid models, signalling a move away from Honda’s slightly antiquated nickel-metal hydride hybrids – as found in the current Insight and CR-Z.
Ninth-generation Civic is expected to go on sale globally during the second-half of 2011.
