The third addition to the Honda Civic lineup was recently spotted at a UK port, providing a glimpse of a vehicle we’ve only seen in prototype guise.
The Honda Civic hatchback shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March wasn’t a production model, but images posted on the CivicX forum show what American buyers can expect.
Not surprisingly, these Civic hatchbacks — said to be U.S.-bound from the model’s Swindon assembly plant — are plenty toned down compared to what we saw at Geneva. The huge, honeycomb-mesh-filled rear bumper vents remain, though they aren’t as sculpted as those on the prototype. The look carries over in the front bumper.
Subtle twin spoilers that are identical to those on the prototype adorn the sloping rear liftback, but something’s missing out back: A tailpipe. Just try and find one in any of the images. The prototype, which clearly hints at what a performance variant of the hatchback could look like, has its twin pipes neatly exiting the center of the rear bumper, hot hatch-style.
If reports turn out true, expect the 174-horsepower turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder to be the only engine offered when the model goes on sale later this year. The naturally aspirated 158 hp 2.0-liter could follow, though Honda might stick with the growing industry trend of only offering uplevel five-doors.
Honda assures us that Si and Type R variants will arrive in the near future, powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four. In its hottest guise, the engine could make 340 horsepower, according to a report.
We’ll get a better look at the model at its official unveiling at the Paris Auto Show in late September.
[Image: CivicX]
So it’s a Honda product with a liftback, which was built in the UK.
Welcome to the new Sterling 827SLi!
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Just kidding, because I like how the Sterling looks, and I don’t like this. Rear visibility will be poor because that C-pillar is huge, and then the view from the back window is bisected by spoiler. None of the angles make any sense, and the way the chromed trim ends at the rear pillar is just odd.
I liked the Sterling as well, but this not so much. If only they could remove the slope and silly little wing thing. Yea maybe I’m asking it to be a little more wagon like.
Or maybe just take the current sedan and make it a lift back. It looks like one anyway, and the little mail-slot trunk opening looks fairly useless.
I like the idea of resurecting the Kaiser Traveler. Looks like a sedan, but practial like a hatch. I’m actually thinking more like the 2nd gen Accord hatch and the European Aero. Anything but a Crosstour poser.
A Sterling 827 with Japanese build quality and no Lucas electrics? Intriguing!
Actually , when talking about 80’s cars, it always baffled me that someone thought it was a good idea to let the japanese (which at the time for the most parthad not had one original or creative thought or idea) desing a car and let the British build it ( who at the time had not made anything even resembling a reliable product for decades) It seemed totally backwards, building Jaguars in Japan for instance would be ‘the right thing’ to do.
But, by now, I’m on my 3rd Swindon built CR-V, and this is not the 80’s anymore. Getting rid of typical British management issues seems to have worked wonders.
Been a while since I read the long story on the subject, but I think at one point Rover owned 25% of Honda and had explored an acquisition of the company.
Correct RE: Honda-Rover ownership. They were a bit sore after all that went south, which I think is why they approached Acura with such trepidation. They had a four year head start on Lexus.
I feel like I could write some alternate automotive history on the subject. Imagine Rover actually having a bright exec and acquiring Honda?
I think unfortunately that would lead to ruined Hondas rather than improved Rovers.
BL dies hard.
Sounds like nice conflict in the story. Think “Tucker” on a larger scale.
Someone also thought it was a good idea to have Alfa Romeo (known for beautiful incredibly unreliable cars) build a dull Japanese car with unreliable Alfa guts, thus creating a car that was the worst of both worlds.
And just like the sedan and coupe it would look so much better if a few inches were lobbed off the rear.
I think they need to be less busy. Waaaaay to much in terms of trim, cuts, angles etc going on there.
Dear god, that back end is ridiculously over styled. TWO spoilers and those hideous black mesh thingies. What were they thinking? This was going to be on my consideration list. But not anymore.
What he said.
100%
Fat and weird…would look great on “People of Walmart.”
kind of reminds me of the arse-pads on the Spaceball guards.
Yep. It’s the Storm Trooper edition.
Civic Crosstour.
Unfortunately, yes. If the rear was more upright/squared off and they removed that hideous spoiler, then a naturally aspirated, manual transmission could find its way into my drive in the future.
Always enjoyed and admired the many Civic hatches and wagon that were in our family over the years. Would be more than happy to renew the relationship if it wasn’t so obviously designed for those who probably cannot afford to purchase a new car.
The universal acclaim and massive sales numbers for the Accord version must have inspired them.
That is one saggy rear end on that civic.
Honda must have mistaken the sagging rear ends on 90’s Accords and Civics in my area as a fashion choice. No, that’s what comes from stuffing 4 illegals in the back seat of a 20 year old car that’s still on the factory suspension.
Sounds like the “Art of the Deal” has corrupted your conscience.
We can take a drive down MD201. You’ll see what I mean by the time we make it to Bladensburg. But we’ll take your car. Too many uninsured drivers down there.
Cute chick with a bubble @ss.
Might be good in bed but will they want to take her out in public?
Red beans and rice didn’t miss her.
When is Acura going to get a new ILX? This Civic has been out for awhile and hardly a mention. Or am I not paying attention?
I love it. Can’t wait to test drive one.
Please bring the manual transmission!
I wonder if Honda uses focus group when considering design. I just can’t see someone thinking this is the right direction from a styling perspective.
Cecil, Best avatar i have seen in a long while.
How hot does it have to be for a Fit to melt that much?
That’s a nice “Cab-Forward” design.
What? That’s the BACK of it?
Accord coupe or Civic Si hatch? 2018 is gonna be a year of hard choices.
At this point I don’t care what it looks like. This generation Civic with the 1.5 and hatchback is going to be an excellent car. Just get one in a dark color to hide the stylistic schizophrenia.
Built in England!
Great!
Hope this slows the damned Brexit suicide reports.
As for the car?
Well…is it me or do these “spoilers” seen here as well as the horrible Prius have any use?
Are they really usefull? They seem to spoil vision and looks to me.
Hondas usually look better in real life. That said, I am liking this.
My favorite civic hatchback was the 1992.
The body type is intended to maximize functionality.
The style is to hide the form in an excess of lines, scallops, spoilers, trims and useless black plastic. It’s like a model wearing four or five necklaces at once – it’s way too much unnecessary junk, for absolutely no good reason.
Honda is now following the styling crowd, where everyone is trying to outdo everyone else with an excess of tacky, useless overstyling features. Does anyone at Honda remember when their motto was: “Honda, we make it simple”?
Geez, what happened to Honda? It’s like every year the designers set out to make the Civic uglier and uglier. I miss the clean lines of my old 2000 Civic Si (in Electron Blue Pearl, naturally).
Have you looked at most of the new Toyotas lately?
Those new taillights on the Prius, for example?
Reminds me of the late 1950s American cars.
Twenty years from now, we’ll call this period ‘peak taillight.’
My wife started screaming and closed her eyes until I passed a new Prius. These artistic types are funny about industrial strength ugly. When it was just TMC I assumed it was a BSD’s half wit son being given full control over taillights. Now that Honda is on it too I’m scared it’s functional aero turbulence generation and we’ll be stuck with it.
Peak “Clean Civic” is the 2006-2011 gen for me. Really eye-catching, yet really pretty simple. They still look good and quite modern, despite being a 10-year old design.
Hondas used to look like such mature cars. Like a Japanese VW, styling wise. They’ve really lost it with this mess. It makes the ZDX/Crosstour look subdued.
While I wouldn’t say it’s pretty, it isn’t that much worse than the standard Civic and its certainly a lot more practical. It’s what the sedan should’ve been from the begining. As much as I wish it was a proper breadvan hatchback like the Civics of yore, I’ll be happy with what I can get. I crossed the Civic off my list last time I was car shopping due to a lack of liftback option, so next time around, I’ll be looking it. I kinda wish I had it now. Better to have Honda depreciation and ownership costs when you’re putting 24k miles a year on a car.
Looking forward to the next ILX. Given what they did with the last Civic, I’m sure they will make something pretty from this one. This is an abomination.
My current car is a 2014 Civic hatch (Euro) which I bought new. It’s a great car and widely regarded as the thinking person’s choice, rather than just another Golf.
This is clearly a rework of the existing car’s styling but it does seem overcooked. Apart from that Honda still needs to get with the program and offer the 1.6 DTEC TD in North America (Euro 6 compliant). That said, I fancy the 1.5 turbo, could be a OK, but then nothing could be worse than the anaemic 1.4 and 1.8 petrols we’very suffered for the past few years. Just worthless.
The more I look at this model, the more it looks like a hunchback instead of a hatchback. The mussy fuss at the back might just be an attempt to fix the awkward proportions.
That said, I have had many Hondas and they have all been terrific. This one needs to have the rear half redone, or it will suffer from Crosstour Syndrome.
Well, at least it won’t be mistaken for a “station wagon.” That would be unforgivable.
The “supercar” touches on the business end are something.
Certainly, with the decklid of a sedan being about ~4 inches, they might as well make everything a hatchback.
AAAHHHHH! MY EYES! Sweet sacrificed deity on a pogo stick! that’s UGLY. WHY must China like ugly tail lights? Do they tell Chinese consumers the cars tail lights have to be this ugly to please the Americans? It has to be the extraterrestrials. No other explanation stands up.
Where did you get China?
Earlier this week JB told us we had to suck up the big grills and other gaudy styling because the market that matters likes garish, China being the market that matters. My assumption is that they hate this gauche ugly hackery too, but are told they have to put up with it because it’s what the American market demands. Since it’s a conspiracy that benefits no human, it must benefit non-humans.
Boy, that’s gonna be one hard car to wax.
Hondas done a great job at paying tribute to the first gen Toyota Camry, or the Chevy Citation, you pick.
I liked the 3rd-party rendering of the Type R, but the dual cloacae look all wrong on a normal car.
Already with the stormtrooper edition.
Why don’t the Japanese just cut to the chase like the Koreans did and hire some European-brand stylists to head up their design departments?
You look at the current efforts of Nissan, Toyota, Subaru and Honda…and come to the unavoidable conclusion that “merely homely” would be a huge improvement.
That is ugly.
Ok then, will wait for an engine upgrade for the HRV and see how that works out. Maybe there is hope that an Acura version of this adolescent wet dream will be more tolerable?