Honda Civic Hatchback Prototype goes live in Geneva; early 2017 launch for Europe, US market to follow

Civic Hatchback Prototype

After being teased and (unintentionally) leaked, the Honda Civic Hatchback Prototype finally makes its global debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, serving as a preview of an all-new hatchback Civic model that will replace the current European FK-series Civic.

Acccording to Honda, the all-new Civic hatchback will measure 4,600 mm long, 1,800 mm wide and 1,450 mm tall. That makes it 130 mm longer, 30 mm wider and 20 mm lower than the current-generation European Civic. No mention on the car’s wheelbase but it should mirror the tenth-generation Civic sedan’s 2,700 mm.

The new dimensions are accompanied by new looks as well. Sharing certain design cues with the tenth-gen North American Honda Civic sedan, the hatchback sports a new face that is certainly more aggressive and sculpted compared to its predecessor. The aggression is match by fancy LED headlights with matching DRLs that share a similar design to those on the facelifted 2016 Honda Accord.

Along the sides, two character lines are clearly visible. The first starts from the front large air intake, flows over the front wheel arches and meets up with the rear ones. The second runs parallel through door handles, ending at the car’s C-shaped tail lights. With the lower height, the Civic hatchback appears sleeker than before as well, with a steeply raked rear end.

Moving on, the angular rear bumper gets busy with large vents and a twin exhaust pipe incorporated into it. Besides the bumper, there are two spoiler elements, one on the top of the rear hatch, while the second links the C-shaped tail lights together. No interior shots here, unfortunately, but expect it to share much in common with the Civic sedan.

Daisuke Tsutamori, project leader for the tenth-generation Civic said, “we knew that we needed to create a striking and stand-out exterior design that challenged conventional European compact styling while staying true to the original Civic’s core values; a marriage of distinctive and sporty design, rewarding driving dynamics and versatile practicality.”

Though the tenth-generation Honda Civic hatchback is not due for a European launch until early 2017, the “concept” seen here looks as ready as it’ll ever be. The five-door hatchback variant will be produced by Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM), and will be exported to global markets including the United States.

Engine options will include a liquid-cooled 1.0 litre three-cylinder turbocharged VTEC engine that produces 127 hp and 200 Nm of torque, and a more powerful 1.5 litre direct-injected turbocharged four-pot that develops 201 hp and 260 Nm of torque. The existing 1.6 litre i-DTEC diesel engine currently offered in the European Civic will also be updated for the all-new model. A six-speed manual gearbox and a CVT (replacing the current five-speed auto) should be offered as transmission choices for the engines.

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