The history of the Civic began in 1972 and has developed over 10 generations focusing, at least for the versions destined for the European market, on an increasingly distinctive and, at times, extravagant design. Both outside and inside.
Now, however, with the maturity of its first fifty years and after 27 and a half million units sold, it seems to want to give a more institutional turn in the stylistic approach. While in the mechanics it takes a leap forward by marrying hybridization in everything and giving up only gasoline thermal engines. In addition to diesel, which, to be precise, had already been repudiated last year.
The five-door body is low and slender, elegant, without the previous forcing. The hood is lower, the A-pillars have been pushed back, the side windows are widened and the wheelbase has been lengthened. Not to mention that the widened trackways make the new Civic look even more crouched. As the dimensions have grown, efforts have also been made to contain the weight, using aluminum for the hood, and a resin for the tailgate.
Even inside the Honda it went more on the classic, creating a horizontally developed dashboard (with an air vent that runs almost entirely through it) which increases the perceived sense of width. Starting with the Advance set-up, the instrumentation is digital and made with a 10.2-inch display, while the multimedia system uses a 9-inch touchscreen and is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, also wireless.
As anticipated, the engine is hybrid only. It is a “light” system, not rechargeable from the outside. It is based on a 2-liter naturally aspirated petrol engine with direct injection, which works according to the Atkinson cycle, assisted by 2 electric motors: the total power available is 184 HP, while the torque reaches 315 Nm. The role of the thermal engine is mainly to produce the energy to start the electric motors, which are connected to the front wheels, and there is no traditional gearbox. But in particular driving conditions, such as when there is a significant demand for power, the four-cylinder also connects to the wheels via an automatic clutch.
Of course, the number of driver assistance systems is considerable. The Honda Sensing package, in addition to the most popular functions, also includes a new 100-degree wide-angle camera and the recognition function of pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles and signal strips. And for the first time ever, there are four sonar sensors at the front and four at the rear. It should also be emphasized the presence of 11 airbags, including the one between the front seats which avoids contact between the two passengers occupying them in the event of a side impact.
The occasion of the presentation of the new Civic, which will be in dealerships in the fall, also served to Honda to announce three new features for next year. A fully electric B-suv which will be called e: Ny1; a full hybrid C-Suv, which will join the current models and the new CR-V, which for the first time will be available in both full hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions. The announced goal of the Japanese company is to reach the zero emissions target in 2050 for all its products and all its activities.
