Photo: Guido ten Brink / SB-Medien
Compact sedans haven't been the most popular cars in Europe. However, Honda had an excellent Civic X sedan lying around the shop that it just had to bring to the Paris Motor Show.
We think most will agree that the sedan looks far more refined and upmarket than both its predecessor and the hatchback. It also puts rivals like the VW Jetta to shame, with its jewel-like headlights and imposing chrome grille.
Although the overall look is very similar to that of the recently revealed hatchback, this is a more mature machine that does away with the scoops and extreme fender inserts. The roof line is smooth, flowing right to the taillights, like on a four-door coupe.
Because the Civic sedan has already been available for over a year in America, we can also tell you that it's the class leader for rear legroom. The only niggle we have is that a liftback trunk would have been far better for the European market.
While the hatchback will continue to be assembled in Britain, from where it will also be shipped to the US, this sedan didn't make any trans-Atlantic trips. That's because production takes place at Honda Europe's factory in Gebze, Turkey.
The outgoing model was available only with a 1.8-liter i-VTEC engine, which will be replaced for the 2017 model year by a new 1.5-liter turbo, matched either to a 6-speed manual or a 7-stepped CVT. In both cases, the output will be 182 PS, but the manual has 240 Nm (177 lb-ft) of torque while the CVT can only deal with 220 Nm (162.2 lb-ft).
Honda has not discussed any other powertrains, so diesel engines are not going to be available for the next few years. Stepping inside, we see that the 2017 Civic sedan will come as standard with Honda's Connect system that incorporates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The "Sensing" suite will also be available across the range, featuring collision mitigation, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control and traffic sign recognition.
“As well as an unprecedented commitment of R&D resources, the process involved sales and manufacturing operations around the world, from North America and Japan, to Europe, South America and Asia. This car, the sportiest Civic ever, sets new benchmarks for the compact class in terms of dynamic performance, fuel efficiency, spaciousness, safety and interior quality,” said Mitsuru Kariya, Chief Engineer and Global Project Leader.
Although the overall look is very similar to that of the recently revealed hatchback, this is a more mature machine that does away with the scoops and extreme fender inserts. The roof line is smooth, flowing right to the taillights, like on a four-door coupe.
Because the Civic sedan has already been available for over a year in America, we can also tell you that it's the class leader for rear legroom. The only niggle we have is that a liftback trunk would have been far better for the European market.
While the hatchback will continue to be assembled in Britain, from where it will also be shipped to the US, this sedan didn't make any trans-Atlantic trips. That's because production takes place at Honda Europe's factory in Gebze, Turkey.
The outgoing model was available only with a 1.8-liter i-VTEC engine, which will be replaced for the 2017 model year by a new 1.5-liter turbo, matched either to a 6-speed manual or a 7-stepped CVT. In both cases, the output will be 182 PS, but the manual has 240 Nm (177 lb-ft) of torque while the CVT can only deal with 220 Nm (162.2 lb-ft).
Honda has not discussed any other powertrains, so diesel engines are not going to be available for the next few years. Stepping inside, we see that the 2017 Civic sedan will come as standard with Honda's Connect system that incorporates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The "Sensing" suite will also be available across the range, featuring collision mitigation, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control and traffic sign recognition.
“As well as an unprecedented commitment of R&D resources, the process involved sales and manufacturing operations around the world, from North America and Japan, to Europe, South America and Asia. This car, the sportiest Civic ever, sets new benchmarks for the compact class in terms of dynamic performance, fuel efficiency, spaciousness, safety and interior quality,” said Mitsuru Kariya, Chief Engineer and Global Project Leader.
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