2011 NYIAS: Honda Civic

After the Japanese carmaker brought the concept version to Detroit, Honda decided to show the all-new 2012 Civic in production-ready form to this year’s New York International Auto Show, in both sedan and coupe forms. Bold claims are made for what will be a very important model for the American Market, saying that the car is “fun-to-drive compact that is simultaneously fuel efficient, sporty, stylish and durable”.

“Though roomier inside than previous models, the 2012 Civic Sedan adds a sophisticated flair while retaining the Coupe's dramatic styling character. Its four doors provide improved utility, with excellent ingress and egress for all passengers. In back, the trunk lid gracefully meets the rear window and seamlessly ties in with the overall styling of the car,” Honda says.

The sedan is offered in four trim levels - Civic DX, Civic LX, Civic EX and Civic EX-L. The model comes as standard with 15-inch diameter steel wheels with full wheel covers, 15-inch aluminum wheels for the Civic HF, 16-inch aluminum wheels for the Civic EX and Civic EX-L models, and 17-inch aluminum wheels for the Civic Si.

With the exception of the base DX model, all trim levels offer power windows with auto-reverse, auto up/down driver's window for added convenience, Civic EX, Civic EX-L and Civic Si models have one-touch power moonroof actuation with tilt feature that will open or close with one touch of the switch. In the security department, remote entry and remote trunk entry systems are now standard on all 2012 Civic models except for DX.

The Civic Natural Gas (previously named Civic GX) is still the only manufacturer-built natural gas-powered car on the US market, for now at least. It is moved along by a dedicated natural gas variant of the 1.8-liter engine similar to the one used in the Civic Sedan and Civic Coupe, with and output 110HP and combined fuel consumption is 31 mpg (7.59 liters/100 km).

Meanwhile, the Civic Si coupe and sedan are fitted with a larger, 2.4-liter i-VTEC engine that delivers 201 horsepower and 170 lb-ft (230 Nm), which 22 percent more torque than before. The more performance-oriented models use a 6-speed manual transmission and are equipped with a standard limited-slip differential.

The 2012 Civic will be offered with new features as standard including a 5-inch LCD “Intelligent” Multi-Information Display (i-MID), the Eco Assist technology that helps achieve a more efficient vehicle operation (except on Si models) and the new Motion Adaptive Electronic Power Steering System.