While the Honda Civic Sedan Prototype we saw last year was already a shoo-in for the production model, there’s always a chance that the brand will go against its own instincts and try to dazzle us with something that’s never coming to market. But it’s one of those “snowball in hell” kind of deals.
In addition to Honda being ultra-consistent and delivering prototypes that actually represent for-sale models, an example of the 2022 model year Civic leaked in China and we doubt the company has any intention of redoing the exterior just to surprise our market.
The vehicle you’re currently looking at will be manufactured by Dongfeng-Honda and is allegedly one of the models China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology had to take a gander at as part of the country’s approval process. We actually spied it via the Civic11Forum, which makes no mention of the government agency and has a few photos with watermarks to a website that doesn’t seem to exist. Claims that these were homologation units came from Motor 1.
Regardless, it’s the spitting image of the prototype and its more-adult (see: Accord-like) styling. While the model with the black mirror caps and spoiler could be the promised Si version (Honda said it would be a sedan), the Type R is supposed to be hatchback only. The manufacturer also made it sound as though performance variants wouldn’t debut until after the base model appeared. But we’re inclined to believe Honda isn’t making many market-exclusive trims for global products like the Civic, so our money is on the Si.
While the same might not be true for powertrains, documentation from the California Air Resources Board has indicated that the United States is supposed to see the same 1.5 and 2.0-liter motors used on the current-generation Civic. However, those engines are likely to receive a handful of updates, though affixing them to a new transmission does not appear to be among them.
Odds are good that we’ll see an official debut within the next few weeks. Honda said to expect the new Civic to take the stage this spring and we’re only a few days away from the March equinox.
[Images: Civic11Forum.com]
It’s looking more and more like a Camry, circa 2000.
That’s actually a good thing. More normal.
There should be a knock-off version in three, two, one…
Camry? Its a baby Accord
Baby Accord? Maybe in person, but without a frame of reference in the picture, it looks a whole lot closer to being the same size.
The Civic sure has come a long way from the small car it once was.
This rear is a well-beat horse
Another generic car, with generic look, generic CVT and generic packaging for the generic public. At least the current one has outrageous looks. This one will pass for any 1994 Mitsu Galant out there
I find it very strange that I don’t see a cut line above the headlight between the front quarter panel and fascia. That would mean that both the front quarter panels and top of the front fascia are all a single steel piece? That seems doubtful. Maybe just bad photo, more likely photoshop?
Looks very much like a mini Accord with the lobster claw taillights fixed, chrome unibrow removed…..all good things.
For what its worth, you guys need you a Google news feed. Saw this story days ago. I will let it slide though since maybe you needed permission for the photos.
You’re right about the cut line, I’m surprised the white hides it so well. You can see it in the orange prototype model though. I doubt it would be a single stamped piece.
The hood cut line is a little awkward on the side. The adjacent panel is crimped like 20mm below the hood. It seems to me they would have been better off making a slightly larger more clamshell-like hood to continue the character line
I hope we can get one with a manual, especially in non-Si form.
What’s wrong with the Si?
I drove Si. A lot of wrongs with it. Some are general “honda-wrongs”. Some Si-specific wrongs.
Wrongs which isn’t also present in non-Si Civics?
I’ve driven the past several gens of Si as well, and once they added Sensing/radar-cruise to it, I can’t say there’s much missing vis-a-vis non-Si trims.
I am not talking of the features. I am talking of how these are engineered and executed.
CVT? Pass
JAYsus but that’s an affront to the sleekness of both the 1992 Accord and Civic. I’m all for pedestrian safety – until it results in pedestrian styling. How are the ‘supercar’ manufacturers getting away with good-looking front ends?
There may be an exception for limited production vehicles. Ive never been endangered by a supercar on the road. I’ve never even seen a supercar on the road. What are my chances of being hit by one while crossing the street?
Its a definite improvement on the current weird styling (sure do a 5 door liftback but the 4 door sedans shouldn’t resemble a liftback. Its just lazy).
Honda has lost its will to live.
It looks like Accord clone made by Chinese company. But people buy Civics not for its looks or how it drives. They buy it in USA because it is a Honda. Not my cup of tea though, I am nonconformist.
Looking at 2011 Mazda3 vs this… I think I pick 2011 Mazda3… wait… I already did.
But, but it is not a Honda and not even a Kia!
Kia is a new Honda, just to be clear.
You said this – new kia is a new honda. And new Mazda is what, old Toyota? So, I’ll take old Mazda because it is Mazda, you know, zoom-zoom kind. Simple, reliable, cheap, and with great driver controls.
Kia MT controls have long time to even Honda levels. Let alone VW. And in the MT Jetta vs MT Accord review, the verdict was – Accord might have the MT but Jetta is next level of engineering.
Telling you, Honda is some generic cr@p
The new rustbuckets. Frankly if it isn’t a Miata the whole brand is just meh.
The back end looks like a severe overbite problem. The styling is rather blah, but there is a lot of that going around.
Neighbor across the street just got a new Elantra — that actually has some style to it. I’m not sure about the Joker (a la Cesar Romero) grin look on the front, but overall not so bad.
Maybe it’s the angles and poor photo quality, but except the Civic rear end’s eerie resemblance to a 2015 Sonata, it looks like one of those nameless cars lifted from the pages of a manga.
I knew that I’ve seen this rear somewhere. Carbon copy of Jetta
https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/2020-honda-civic-si-vs-2020-kia-forte-gt-vs-2020-vw-jetta-gli-110-1603742218.jpg
It is not ugly but then it is not beautiful. Just another generic compact sedan and appropriately this one is white to make it even more generic.
Trying to figure out why Honda is making an Accord carbon copy when the Accord is going to get redesigned in a couple years and look nothing like this.
Cadillac leading the way with that C-pillar kink.
Yawn. Guess I’ll keep my 10th gen hatch a wee bit longer.
Well, baby Accord isn’t bad. Certainly better looking than the current one. Let’s hope the oil dilution issues have been resolved. Mazda 3 is probably the best looking out of all the small sedans but pricy and very small back seat. Elantra has a bit of the catfishy looks of the Sonata..not a fan. The Kia Forte GT looks very sharp though. The new Corolla…hmm…not a fan.
Are we sure that’s not the new Hundah Seavic that the Chinese stole from Honda’s intellectual property?
Say goodbye to the Accord, not unlike how Lexus killed the GS and pumped the IS to replace it.
So. The image I posted here half year ago was accurate
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IEPRitKoivo/X4tkBr9kfzI/AAAAAAABAGU/HJAIhFyuasExLqUqjvOU8Td2tploinQ_gCNcBGAsYHQ/burlapcpar-2022-honda-civic-1.jpg
in this case, hatch should be not too bad (speaking of looks)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lIh02hBNcVw/X4zwzMLL1II/AAAAAAABAGg/ZC1XXOWwXK4uRKeWMjESg1wRSqD8QMz5wCNcBGAsYHQ/s16000/burlappcar-2022-honda-civic-3.jpg
If it leaked in China, will it leak in the United States?
Accord upfront, Jetta in the back. I like it.
The rear view looks very 2015 Hyundai Sonata-ish, while the rest a less porcine Accord.