Revealed on Twitch of all live streaming platforms out there, the all-new Civic is a more mature-looking car than the 10th generation. Don’t be fooled by the Accord-like styling, though, because Honda didn’t forget to imbue a little bit of excitement as well.
As per product planning head Gary Robinson, “there are six-speed manuals available throughout the lineup.” This means that even the lowliest of specifications is getting a row-your-own box and three pedals, most likely matched with a 1.5-liter turbo four-cylinder engine with a few small improvements here and there.
The Civic Si, which was recently spotted by Civic XI forum member Hairpin Hero, is hiding a VTEC Turbo under the hood as well. Spied in the Hocking Hills area of Ohio, two prototypes of the Sport Injected can be seen in the following video benchmarking against a 2020 model, all three sedans.
Unfortunately for expecting customers, the OP didn’t get a close view of the rear to confirm if the HDMI port-style exhaust tip carries over to the all-new Civic Si. On the bright side, both development prototypes appear to be as near-production spec as possible under the camo. In other words, Honda may intend to reveal the Civic Si at some point next year for 2022.
From 1.5 liters of displacement, the Sport Injected cranks out 205 horsepower and 192 pound-feet (260 Nm) of torque. A short-ratio stick shift is the only transmission available, and I wouldn’t have the Civic Si any other way. There are, however, quicker alternatives in this segment, starting with the Volkswagen Jetta GLI.
There is a reason why the VW is that bit better on paper, starting with 0.5 more liters, 228 horsepower, and 258 pound-feet (349 Nm) of turn-twisting oomph. Another competitor would be the all-new Hyundai Elantra N Line, which belts out 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet (264 Nm) from a 1.6-liter turbo mill.
Going forward, the Civic Type R won’t get the e-AWD hybrid setup we’ve heard about from Japanese motoring publications. Honda has confirmed “there are no plans for an AWD configuration,” meaning that the hottest variant is going to soldier on with a 2.0-liter turbo and FWD.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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