What you’re seeing here is the 10th-generation Honda Civic sedan, a completely redesigned version of the 43-year old model that’s also new from the ground up, Honda says. It will come fitted with two engine options – a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre engine and a turbocharged 1.5-litre powerplant.
We have agree to some extent that the 9th generation (outgoing) Civic missed the mark in terms of design, but Honda seemed to be on the right track when they previewed its concept. In full production form, the Civic is effectively wider (50mm), lower (25mm) and has a longer wheelbase (30mm). The front and rear overhangs have been shortened, while design-wise the front end gets an aggressive hood whereas the rump features a fastback-style look, almost reminiscent of the Audi A7!
This Civic features extensive use of LEDs, and illumination source is also courtesy of the low-energy light source. Headlights and daytime running lights are full LED, whereas the rear gets the distinctive C-shaped LED taillights as standard. Besides the new look, this Civic boasts having a lower centre of gravity, which means it should handle better than the current model. The new chassis sees improvement done to both the front and rear suspension; the former gets a pair of redesigned struts while the rear features a new multi-link setup mounted to the ultra-rigid rear subframe.
Besides that, torsional rigidity is up by 25 percent, thanks in part to ultra-high-strength steel. Despite the larger footprint, the Civic weighs about 31kg less than before. It’s also more slippery as well, charting aerodynamic improvements that’s 12 percent better, courtesy of the full underbody covers.
The Civic for the longest time has been associated with having one of the noisier cabins in its class, but the 9th-gen facelifted model had that sorted out pretty well. Now, the all-new Civic isn’t just the quietest by far, it’s also said to be the most comfortable, sophisticated and premium-feeling cabin in the compact class. An additional 105 litres of interior space has been added, while rear legroom space is stretched by 51mm! 
Here, the Civic’s standard equipment includes automatic climate control (dual-zone controls on higher trim levels), electronic parking brake with Brake Hold, Walk Away auto door locks and an adjustable driver’s seat thigh support with 14 degrees of tilt and a new, reconfigurable 7.2-litre storage space in the piano-black centre console. Features like soft-touch instrument panel, moulded stitching, new full-colour TFT meter, LED shift indicator and LED cabin lighting, 8-way powered driver seat and 4-way front passenger seat certainly make the Civic an interesting proposition.
As mentioned earlier, only two engines will be offered in the United States when it goes on sale later this year – a base 2.0-litre and the new 1.5-litre turbocharged engines. We’re all familiar with the former unit; a 16-valve DOHC i-VTEC four-cylinder block that will be mated to a six-speed manual or a CVT gearbox. Upper-tier variants will benefit from the new turbocharged powertrain, but output figures remain unknown at present.
Finally, the new Civic incorporates better agility and refined ride quality in an effort to lead its segment. As such, it gets hydraulic compliance bushings to help isolate road vibration – a technology that’s typically used in more expensive vehicles. Stabiliser bars at the front and rear are beefed up for better handling, and couple that with Honda’s new Agile Handling Assist brake-torque vectoring technology, the new Civic should altogether spell more fun. The bigger question now is, what form will the Civic take when it arrives in Malaysia?
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