New Euro Honda Civic moves styling toward U.S. version
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FRANKFURT -- Honda CEO Takanobu Ito took the wraps off the new European Civic at the Frankfurt motor show today, introducing a car that moves the current rounded Euro model more in the direction of the U.S.-market Civic both in size and styling.
While the front of the new Honda Civic is evolutionary, displaying the same basic face but with sleeker, more rounded surfaces, bigger changes are in store at the rear of the car.
Taillights now stand proud of the car on a panel almost unto themselves, wrapping around the entire rear fascia. Overall, the look gives the European Civic some needed life in the face of assertively styled competitors, most notably the Ford Focus.
Photo credit: MARK RECHTIN
Inside, Honda expands on its driver-oriented cockpit theme accentuated by a center stack/console that cants more aggressively toward the driver. The rear seats also benefit from the "magic seats" found in the U.S. Honda Fit, adopting the flip-and-fold acrobatics that leave the car open floor to roof to help fit tall cargo, a feature also found on the current Euro Civic.
Powertrains include 1.4- and 1.8-liter gasoline four-cylinder engines and a 2.2-liter diesel, all refined to help achieve Honda's European goal of a fleetwide 30 percent reduction in CO2 output by 2020.
