Honda is gearing up for the launch of the 10th generation Civic in Europe. It's still a hatchback made by the UK factory, but it looks like nothing else you've seen before.
The model was presented last year during the 2016 Paris Motor Show, so we have quite a bit of technical information available. But that won't stop us from enjoying a full photo gallery and some video footage if we're lucky.
Developed around the body and chassis of the American Civic sedan, Swindon's 5-door is huge both in and out. Like a Porsche 911, it looks wide and low, 30mm wide and 20mm lower than before, to be precise. Also like the 911 (we mean the 991) the wheelbase has been stretched, by an extensive 136mm.
Excluding the Octavia notchback, the old Civic was already one of the roomiest and most practical compacts you could buy. They've boosted that with 95mm more legroom and 45mm more knee room, plus a cavernous 478-liter trunk, which for the record is about 100 more than a Golf. But the Civic X should also add a layer of dynamism, thanks to a body that's 52% stiffer and a center of gravity lowered by 10mm.
European models naturally get a particular engine range that kicks off with a new 1.0-liter turbo producing 129 PS and 200 Nm (147 lb-ft). When matched to its standard 6-speed manual, this engine is said to achieve a combined NEDC figure of 4.7 l/100km or 60 mph UK. Of course, you can order it with a CVT.
But since this is such a sporty little thing, it would be a shame not to go for the 1.5-liter turbo delivering 182 PS and 240 Nm (177 lb-ft). That puts you somewhere in between the Leon 1.8 TSI and the Focus Black Edition. And did we mention that it comes with dual mid-mounted exhaust tips.
Adaptive dampers? Available. Wireless phone charging? Check. About the only thing we don't like is that the "Japaneseness" has been lost. The gear shifter is not on the dash, and the speedo binnacle is... normal.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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