Honda to Sell Futuristically Styled European-Market Civic

When Honda released the European-destined Civic concept car during last years Geneva motor show, representatives said that the compact hatchback was a 90 percent accurate example of the production model. The world collectively gasped when the tarp was pulled off, and for what seemed a single moment, paused.

What was Honda coming to? While weve seen some pretty radical looking stuff from Japanese automakers for their domestic clientele, no one could have expected Honda to take such a bold position with one of its highest volume vehicles.

The main question that everyone was asking, for the remainder of the Swiss show and for months after, was, would the orange, egg-on-wheels actually be the next Civic? Well, weve finally got an answer and Hondas officials werent lying; this is the European model year 2006 Honda Civic hatchback.

Eager to ditch any association of being synonymous with elderly, and terminally uninteresting, the European-market Honda Civic takes to the streets with a completely new look, unlike anything ever seen from Honda before. Its aggressive styling escapes the realm of inoffensiveness, much the same way in which the Renault Meganes bold, pointy rump broke the mould of the conventional hatchback. Hondas main aim with the new Civic was to make it appear sporty and athletic, two terms that are key to success in the European C-Segment (Civic-sized) marketplace - two terms that recent generation Civics could never be described as. But after seeing photos of this Civic five-door hatchback, its safe to say that Hondas design team has easily mastered the head-turning art of looking cool.

After eight generations (yes, its been that long), the Civic finally gets the style it has always deserved. Gone is the tall, minivan shape, evident in the North American 3-door Si, replaced by a wind-shaped teardrop drawn with a surprisingly sporty coupe-like profile. After establishing a stance that puts a wheel at each corner, Civics design team went all out on the details, heavily inspired from the carrot-colored concept car.

Carried over is the polycarbonate grille-cover, which tricks the eye into thinking the headlamp is one long beam a la 80s Mercury Sable or Pontiac Grand Prix. Hidden rear door handles and funky triangular-shaped exhaust pipes add to its custom look. In comparison, the VW Golf, Opel Astra and even Fords radical second-generation Focus are yawn-inducingly boring.

While most cars grow in size and weight over the years, the latest Civic is smaller than the vehicle it replaces. Some 1.8 inches have been trimmed off the previous generation for a total length of 13.9 feet, but its grown in wheelbase to 8.7 feet, and width to 5.8 feet. Though the Civic may be smaller, its bigger and roomier than ever before. Smarter packaging, which moved the fuel tank closer to the center of the car, and the addition of a torsion beam rear suspension allow an astonishing 14.7 cubic feet of cargo to be stored, despite the more rounded hatch. This increase, up from 13.1 cubic feet in the outgoing model, can be further increased with the addition of magic seats, which bump cargo volume up to 17.1 cubic feet by tumbling upwards and folding flat against the back hatch, a process that takes just one hand to execute. This equals some 2.3 cubic feet more cargo space than the competing Ford or VW.

If youre still staring in disbelief at the new Civics exterior styling, it may be best to turn your eyes away from the page because Hondas taken the sci-fi route in designing the interior of its latest compact creation. Modeled after a space ship (or possibly K.I.T.T from Night Rider), the cabin of the new Civic is completely left of the norm. The dashboard is highly complex, split into two tiers, both containing different controls and displays. The central instrument cluster is home to an oversized tach illuminated by Hondas traditional blue and white electroluminescent color scheme. The speedometer and optional LCD information display are strategically positioned on the top shelf, putting the information in the drivers line of sight, which will help to keep his or her eyes on the road. While the cars appearance may be the subject of many a debate for years to come, theres no arguing that the new Civic is ergonomically designed. All major controls for adjusting the interior climate are canted towards the driver, while the stereo controls seem easily within reach.

What appear to be high quality, dark-colored plastics and trim are countered by shiny metal-finish plastic components that help give the Civic a futuristic look, a spin on the compact sector that is often somewhat drab in an entry-level way. Rather, this glimpse of C-segment vehicles to come is also echoed in other details, which include a red engine-start button and a bootless shifter, the former from the Insight hybrid and S2000 roadster, and the latter an idea Honda unashamedly nabbed from the Volvo S60.

Likewise, equipment levels are generous on the new Civic, which sees Hondas VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist) in addition to airbags and ABS brakes as standard. Higher models can feature automatic wipers and headlamps, 18-inch alloy wheels, a leather interior, navigation/hi-fi system, and a panoramic roof to brighten up the otherwise dark interior.

With such little space between the nose and the base of the windshield, the engines for the latest Civic are small in displacement. The base motor is an 82-horsepower 1.4-liter DSI (direct injection) unit derived from the Fit/Jazz subcompact. It allows the Civic to sputter to 60 mph in a less than sporty 14.3 seconds, with a top speed of 107 mph. More impressively, to performance enthusiasts anyway, is the new 1.8-liter i-VTEC powerplant, designed specifically for this new car. Honda claims that it delivers the power and performance of a 2.0-liter displacement engine, but has fuel consumption equivalent to a 1.6-liter motor. Acceleration is far brisker, with the 60 mph dash down five seconds to 9.4, while top speed has been boosted to 138 mph. Fuel consumption is nearly as good as the 1.4, so the only question as to which engine will get the majority of sales will be the price penalty for stepping up to the 1.8.

To be introduced sometime during 2006 is Hondas latest diesel, a 2.2-liter i-CDTI that makes 138-horsepower and a whopping 251 lb-ft of torque. Not only is this the largest engine available to the Civic, but its also the fastest, allowing the hatchback to hit 60 mph in just 8.3 seconds. As with all diesels, fuel consumption is stellar; this Civic slowly sips from the tank using less fuel than even the most efficient gasoline motor available. All powerplants are mated to either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox to make the most out of their limited displacement.

As far as the Civic goes, whats popular in Europe and Asia usually fails in North America and vice versa. Few of the British-built tall-shape Civic Si hatchbacks were sold here, while even fewer two-door Civic Coupes and Hybrid Sedans were sold in Europe. As such, the plan will remain the same, which is to introduce separate models and body styles for the vastly different markets. But two key players have yet to be discussed - the performance version and the Hybrid. Its expected that globally, hot Civics will use Hondas 197-horsepower 2.0-liter inline-four, regardless of which body shell it is put in. Meanwhile, gasoline-electric hybrid technology will only be stuffed in the U.S.-shape four-door sedan with styling thats soon to be revealed.

After its launch in Frankfurt, Germany, there will be a five-month wait for the Civic to hit showrooms in Europe. As for our North-American model coupes and sedans, a ride and drive program takes place at the end of this month in Chicago, and therefore you can expect full coverage shortly thereafter with vehicles going on sale this fall.

Considering that the Civic is a globally designed vehicle it wouldnt be surprising if the trendy style of the European model rubbed off on the North American design, but more likely the more conservatively penned Civic Si concept which previewed earlier this year, plus the many spy photos of the sedan that have recently surfaced are closer to what it will look like.