Honda reveals edgy new Civic hatch

Published Aug 16, 2016

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By: IOL Motoring Staff

Swindon, Wiltshire - These are the first official pictures of the 10th-generation Honda Civic hatch, due in South Africa during the second quarter of 2017.

Built in the UK for global markets, this is the production version of the concept revealed at the Geneva motor show on March 2015 and, not surprisingly, bears a strong resemblance to the Civic sedan, released this month in South Africa, with which it shares an all-new platform.

As we noted then, the new Civic, whether in four or five-door configuration, owes nothing to its predecessor. It's 130mm longer overall, 30mm wider and 20mm lower, with larger rims and wider tyres, short overhangs and proportionately larger wheelbase, independent suspension with liquid-filled bushings all round and variable-ratio electromechanical power steering.

Honda Sensing

Interior trim is expected to follow the lines of the sedan, including its new 18cm touchscreen-based infotainment system, compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, on all but entry-level variants, while the flagship models will likely boast the Honda Sensing driver aids package, with adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and forward collision warning.

Engine options for the SA market are likely to include the all-new 1.5-litre, direct-injection VTec turbopetrol four, rated for 127kW at 5500 revs and 220Nm from 1700ropm, as well as a less expensive carry-over version of the previous model's naturally-aspirated 1.8-litre VTec.

The sedan is available in South Africa only with CVT belt drive, but it's likely that at least one derivative of the hatch will be offered with a six-speed manual transmission, especially as there is already a fire-breathing Type R version in the pipeline.

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