Friday, May 28, 2010

Euro-only next-gen Civic hatch spied

Honda may ditch the British-built Civic from the local range, but the factory's working on a replacement

Our spy photographers at Carparazzi have busted the next-generation Honda Civic testing in the Italian Alps.

The test mule shows the upcoming Civic shares many of the same futuristic styling cues as debuted on the current model, which was first launched back in 2005.

With a lineage stretching back to 1972, the Honda Civic is unarguably the brand's most readily recognised nameplate, and with looks like these, that brand recognition is certain to continue making a bold statement for a few more years yet.

Retaining similar dimensions to the existing model, the test mule appears to sport a wider track. The wheelbase remains unchanged.

A new bumper likely hides behind the protruding front bar, a fresh face likely to grace the new model.

Powertrain options will continue unchanged with the same mix of four-cylinder petrol and turbo-diesel offerings delivering outputs between 60 and 105kW. The current (85kW) 1.3-litre petrol-hybrid will also be carried over to the new model.

The new four-door Civic hatch is due to go on sale in Europe and the UK in late 2011 or early 2012. With exchange rates placing the British Civic at a disadvantage, there's a strong chance we won't see this car here, but Honda Australia is expected to continue offering the Thai-built Civic sedan variant.

There's no word yet on revisions to the white-hot Civic Type R.
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