Following the recent leaked photos we reported just a couple of days ago, Honda has finally unveiled the dynamically styled 10th-generation 2016 Civic Sedan in the U.S.
“This tenth-generation Civic is quite simply the most ambitious remake of Civic we’ve ever done,” said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co, Inc. “We are bringing more new technology and innovative thinking to Civic than ever before to establish a new benchmark for fun-to-drive performance, fuel efficiency, safety performance and refinement in the compact class.”
The Civic Sedan arrives in the U.S market in two all-new, more powerful and fuel-efficient engines. Civic Sedan LX and EX trims will be powered by a 2.0-litre, 16-valve, DOHC i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine, mated to either a 6-speed manual (LX trim) or continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Civic Sedans in EX-T, EX-L trims and Touring trims on the other hand, will be powered by a 1.5-litre, direct-injected and turbocharged 16-valve DOHC inline-4, mated to a unique CVT, delivering a new level of responsiveness in this capacity class of turbocharged engine. Honda didn’t disclose additional powertrain details and specifications but we’ll keep you updated with more info once it is officially unveiled.
Advancing the sporty character of this all-new Civic is its more sporty driving position, with a 1-inch lower hip point compared to the current car. The lower hip point is enabled by the new Civic’s lower floor and engine and its all-new suspension design. The new Civic chassis features a redesigned strut front suspension and a new multi-link rear suspension mounted to an ultra-rigid rear subframe.
Torsional rigidity of the new body is improved by 25%, aided in part by more intensive use of ultra-high-strength steel. Twelve percent of the unit body is made of ultra-high-strength steel, up from 1% on the current model. Aerodynamic efficiency is improved by 12% to class-leading levels, in part through the use of full underbody covers—a Civic first. Despite its larger size, the new Civic unit body is 31 kg lighter than before, while new body-sealing techniques result in a 58% reduction in cabin air leaks. Class-leading cabin quietness is further improved by the use of premium noise-reducing features, including a flush-mounted acoustic glass windshield, a more tightly sealed engine compartment and triple-sealed doors.
To achieve the Civic development team’s high targets for dynamic performance and refined ride quality, the new Civic Sedan utilizes hydraulic compliance bushings, a technology typically reserved for more expensive vehicles, aiding the isolation of road vibration. Additional new chassis technologies include variable gear ratio steering, beefier front and rear stabilizer bars and standard 4-wheel disc brakes, along with the application of new Agile Handling Assist brake-torque vectoring technology for more precise and agile cornering.
Inside the cabin, an additional 3.7 cubic feet of interior space translates into the largest cabin in the compact segment with 2-inches of added rear-seat legroom versus the outgoing model. In front, new ultra-thin front roof pillars enable class-leading forward visibility; and at the rear, trunk space has been increased by 2.6 cubic feet with a lower liftover height, larger opening and wider and taller cargo area. Civic Sedan EX and above trims will feature a 60/40 split and folding rear seat.
The 2016 Civic Sedan offers customers more premium features than ever before. New standard equipment includes automatic climate control – dual-zone on EX-L and higher trims; auto-up/down front power windows; an electronic parking brake with Brake Hold; Walk-Away auto door locks and an adjustable driver’s seat thigh support with 14 degrees of tilt. All Civic Sedan models also feature a larger, reconfigurable new center console with up to 7.2-liters of secure storage space.
The new Civic interior strikes a more premium tone with high-quality materials and high-contrast finishes. These include a new one-piece, soft-touch instrumental panel with molded stitching; more premium seat fabrics; a new full-colour TFT center meter (EX and above trims); a center console with piano black finish and high-contrast sliver bezel; door inserts with live stitching; an LED shift indicator and LED overhead lighting; and for EX and higher trims, a leather shift boot. Upper grades offer even more premium features, including a 8-way power adjustable driver’s seat, 4-way power front passenger’s seat, heated front and rear seats and heated side mirrors. Further, the 2016 Civic lineup joins the freshened 2016 Accord in offering advanced smartphone integration with a new, 7-inch high-definition Display Audio touchscreen, offering tech-savvy customers a more advanced and intuitive connected-car experience via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
In terms of safety, the 2016 Civic Sedan will be available with the Honda Sensing suite of advanced safety and driver-assistive technologies, including Collision Mitigation Braking, Road Departure Mitigation and, for the first time in a Honda, Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow.
