Earlier this month, Honda released the first official image of the 11th-generation Civic, which was previously previewed by a near-production prototype in November last year. Replacing the 10th-gen FC model that was first introduced in 2015, the thoroughly redesigned Civic is currently being revealed in stages, with more information set to arrive on April 28.

There is always a lot of buzz when a new Civic is announced, and the question on the minds of most Malaysians – including us – after the initial reveal is always, “when is it coming here?” Well, it seems like we could welcome the 11th-gen model as soon as this year, according to Honda Malaysia president and COO Sarly Adle Sarkum.

In an interview posted online for the company’s WithDreams magazine, Sarly was asked to if Honda had anything exciting in store on the way, and his reply was certainly suggestive. “You didn’t see the Civic 2022 world premiere on the internet? Where have you been all this time? Hints for 2021… tunggu…,” he said.

Seeing how the latest Civic has yet to go on sale anywhere in the world, we’ll likely get a preview for the 11th-gen this year rather than a full-on launch. Looking back, the current FC on sale here was first previewed in May 2016, a little over eight months – that’s the number of months left in 2021 – after its global debut in North America. Prior to its preview at the then My Auto Fest, Honda Malaysia opened the order books for the model and provided preliminary specifications, with a launch only taking place a month later.

So, based on the interview with Sarly, it looks like we could get up close with the all-new Civic sometime this year, if no issues arise from the ongoing pandemic. Looking forward to it? Share your thoughts in the comments below.