TEASER
New Civic preview
Honda will show a concept of its next-generation Corolla-chaser in Detroit next month.
- Do you think the finished article will look something like this?
What you see here is an official sketch of the ninth-generation Civic released by Honda, so there's a strong possibility of the Toyota Corolla-chasing saloon looking something like this.
But it remains to be seen whether Honda will still be going the arduous task of offering three different looks for different markets around the world.
Today, there is a European look for the three- and five-door hatchbacks, and two other separate designs for the US and Asian regions..
- So this must not look like what we Thais are getting then...
Keep your fingers crossed. It is a now a well-known fact that Honda isn't that financially strong on a global basis - its car-making business is now being helped by motorcycle and power product operations.
And consider that the Civic is now a slow-selling model in Japan - where buyers are turning to other models with hybrid drivetrains - there's an outside chance the new Civic could be a global model.
- Sounds good to me, then...
Yeah, if you take this sketch into account. The slanting head lamps and gaping grille up front end are an evolution of today's US-spec Civic (which had always looked better than the Thai variant's tear-drop lights, in our eyes).
Although you don't see them here, recent spy shots of the new Civic splattered on the internet suggest the C-pillars will have a BMW-style Hoffmeister Kink theme - already used in the Accord and City sold in Thailand and other Asian markets.
- Will the Civic be built on a new platform?
That's hard to say, but it must be noted the existing floorplan is competitive enough, particularly that of the saloon with the rear multi-link suspension. The Euro hatch has a conventional torsion beam layout at the back.
Actually, the Japanese grapevine suggests that the new Civic will only be 5mm longer and taller than its current dimensions of 4,540mm and 1,445mm respectively, while width remains the same at 1,750mm.
And given that today's eight-gen Civic still has the roomiest cabin in its class, there is no need to stretch the point further. And last but not least, Honda is said to be tightening the screws on development costs.
- Have you got a glimpse of the interior?
Nope, this is the only rendering Honda has provided to the media. But as said earlier, the new Civic should still promise class-leading space, thanks to a 2,700m-long wheelbase length and flat floor design at the rear.
The fascia of today's Civic also seems to be ahead of its rivals' with its notable two-tier, wraparound cockpit that yields fine ergonomics. But, surely, Honda will be redesigning the dashboard.
- Hope the technical credentials will improve...
It definitely should because Honda's big boss has already revealed that future engines should have good performance as well as low emissions (meaning lower fuel consumption, too).
The existing 1.8- and 2.0-litre petrol engines still have room for improvement. Honda hasn't employed direct-injection yet, and this particularly system can boost both performance and economy at the same time.
The Civic's transmission could also switch to the CVT automatic for even better frugality, or today's gearbox could see the number of forward ratios increasing from five to six. And since these are only predictions, allow us to go wild with a dual-clutch automatic. Anything's possible.
- What about a hybrid?
Good question. Today, there is a mild hybrid - combining a 1.3-litre petrol engine to an electric motor - for the Civic which, however, isn't as efficient as in the Toyota Prius.
Honda could upgrade to a full hybrid (whereby the car can run on pure electricity for short distances) or, as reported in the European media, the Civic could get a plug-in hybrid to level the game with the Prius Plug-in Hybrid, which is still leased on a limited basis in selected global markets.
The new Civic will be an important model for Thais to watch for because there's a chance that Honda (Thailand) could build a hybrid version of the basic model, itself due here in late 2011.
Credit: Bangkok Post (www.bangkokpost.com)
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