Honda Civic

The Honda Civic is a line of small cars manufactured by Honda. Originally a subcompact, the Civic has gone through several generational changes, becoming both larger and more upmarket and moving into the compact car segment. EPA guidelines for vehicle size class stipulate a car having combined passenger and cargo room of 110 to 119.9 cubic feet (3,110 to 3,400 L) is considered a mid-size car, and as such the tenth generation Civic sedan is technically a small-end mid-size car, although it still competes in the compact class. The Civic coupe is still considered a compact car. The Civic currently falls between the Honda Fit and Honda Accord.

The first Civic was introduced in July 1972 as a two-door model,[2] followed by a three-door hatchback that September. With an 1169 cc transverse engine and front-wheel drive like the British Mini, the car provided good interior space despite overall small dimensions. Initially gaining a reputation for being fuel-efficient, reliable, and environmentally friendly, later iterations have become known for performance and sportiness, especially the Civic Type R, Civic VTi, Civic GTi and Civic SiR/Si.

The Civic has been repeatedly rebadged for international markets, and served as the basis for the Honda CR-X, the Honda CR-X del Sol, the Honda Concerto, the first generation Honda Prelude, the Honda Civic Shuttle (later to become the Honda Orthia), and the Honda CR-V.

In Japan, as customers increasingly shifted to minivans and compact cars like Honda Fit, production of non-hybrid Civic ended in August 2010 when it no longer complied with Japanese Government dimension regulations in the width category. However, production of Civic and Civic hybrid for export markets continued.

The Civic is based on an all-new Honda compact global platform.

The tenth-generation Civic features a new fastback exterior design, with the rear C-pillar flowing into the tailgate. The front of the car features a new chrome wing design that flows across the top of the headlamps.

The interior of the new Civic likewise features major design changes. Unlike the split bi-level speedometer and tachometer of its predecessor, the tenth generation Civic consolidates these instruments into a fully customisable, all digital interface incorporating a 7-inch LCD screen positioned directly behind the steering wheel and in the driver's line of sight.

Models

Civic variants include sedan, coupe, five-door hatchback, Si trims, and Type-R models.

Sedan

The production sedan was unveiled on YouTube in September 2015.

The Civic is based on an all-new platform which utilizes higher grade steel, the unit body is 68 pounds lighter than the prior model and the center of gravity has been reduced 0.6 inches. The sedan's wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer with rear disc brakes made standard. To minimize NVH the Civic adds fluid-filled suspension bushings. A dual pinion steering system is introduced along with a thicker and more rigid 30 mm diameter steering column for improved steering feel, additionally the steering gear ratio is variable, with 2.2 turns lock-to-lock compared to 3.1 turns lock-to-lock from the previous model and a quicker 10.93:1 steering ratio.

The exterior features standard LED DRLs and C-shaped LED taillights. Headlamps with LED low and high beams along with amber LED turn signals are optional.

US models went on sale in November 2015 as 2016 model year vehicles. Models include a choice of two engines: a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter I4 engine paired to either a six-speed manual or CVT transmission, or 1.5-liter turbocharged direct injected I4 engine with only a CVT transmission. The sedan's 2.0-liter engine paired with the CVT has an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 31/41/35 mpg (city/highway/combined).

Coupe

Based on Civic Concept revealed at the 2015 New York Auto Show, the production coupe was unveiled at 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show in November, with US sales following in March 2016.

Hatchback

The Civic Hatchback Prototype vehicle was unveiled in 2016 Geneva Motor Show, the production version was unveiled at the 2016 Paris Motor Show.

The hatchback is developed jointly by Honda R&D teams in Europe and Japan, and manufactured in its Swindon, England plant.

US models went on sale in September 2016 (2017 MY).[citation needed] Early US models only come with a 1.5-liter turbo engine of either 174 or 180 HP. European models are set to go on sale in Spring 2017. Early models included choice of 3 engines (1.0-liter and 1.5-liter turbo, 1.6-liter diesel).