Bold looks, better technology, more safety



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Believe it or not, the Honda Civic is nearly 50 years old. The first example rolled off the production line in Japan as far back as 1972, and the small sedan (and hatchback) has been a staple since landing in the United States just a few years later.

As the Civic approaches nearly half a century, the four-door is undergoing a modest revamp for its 11th generation. Although this is just a prototype, Honda says it is representative of the production car that will arrive early next year. While driving on the same platform as the current model, the Civic 2022 will have a completely new exterior and interior styling, better technology, more safety features, and even some new exterior paint options.

Exterior design

Honda Civic 2022 prototype

The 2022 Honda Civic sedan prototype features a brand new front end with a more pronounced grille and sharper headlights with LED daytime running accents (there’s a bright demonstration in our first video look). The new markings are meant to give the Civic a meaner look, while still keeping the design relatively simple. The rest of the body, meanwhile, retains the same athletic proportions and low ground clearance as the 10th-generation model it is based on, but looks a little smoother with new side details, a crinkled C-pillar (a la Cadillac). and more pronounced details both front and back. Honda told us that the new design is meant to make the Civic lower and wider than before, despite being nearly identical in size to its predecessor.

The rear of the Civic prototype is much bolder than before with larger split taillights (so long, light bar) within a smoked housing. We’re not sure if the darker finish will carry over to production, at least not on the base model. A subtle “trailing edge” spoiler gives the Civic a wider look in profile while helping with aerodynamics, and the split exhaust tips on the prototype offer a sportier version. This car is finished in Solar Flare Pearl paint and includes 19-inch black wheels, both of which Honda will eventually offer on the production car.

2022 Honda Civic Protoype
Honda Civic 2022 prototype

The 2022 Honda Civic will be available in two body styles: sedan and hatchback. The company has already announced the discontinuation of the coupe, but the Si sedan and Type R sedan will live in the next generation and will continue to offer standard manual transmissions.

Interior design

Exterior of the Honda Civic 2022 prototype

Inside is where the 2022 Honda Civic sees the most dramatic changes. The solitaire rendering provided by the company shows a flat, horizontal dash design and very few buttons. The goal, says Honda, was to keep the Civic’s focus on great ergonomics and visibility. According to the designers, the overall theme is meant to mimic the simplistic interior layout of the all-electric Honda E.

The design itself involves modest changes to the trim pieces and overall layout. The most notable of the new elements is the honeycomb accent that extends from under the touchscreen to the passenger-side dashboard. Look closer and you will notice that the cladding piece hides the HVAC vents, giving the impression of a continuous design element. And instead of being built into the dashboard, the touchscreen now sits above it.

Technology and safety

The central touchscreen inside the Honda Civic grows from 7.0-inches in the current model to the more robust 9.0-inch here in the prototype. The new interior design also sees the larger screen move to the top of the dashboard, iPad-style, rather than embedded within it. The Civic is also the first Honda product to offer a fully digital instrument cluster.

As far as safety is concerned, the Honda Civic has always been one of the safest options in the segment. The current 2020 model gets the brand’s Honda Sensing suite of standard active safety equipment with every trim level. We expect the Civic 2022 to be even safer. While the company isn’t eager to share specs yet, Honda says the new Civic will have “more new active and passive safety systems,” which include updates to the lauded Honda Sensing suite.

Price and release date

As we said, this is just a prototype. The real 2022 Honda Civic probably won’t show up until early next year before hitting dealerships shortly thereafter. But we won’t know the specifics of when the new Civic will be launched until the production version officially debuts in the first quarter of 2021.

The official price of the Honda Civic 2022, meanwhile, will also come later. The current Honda Civic starts at $ 21,050 for the base LX model, and the top-of-the-range Touring trim starts at $ 28,100. That doesn’t include the hot Honda Civic Type R hatchback, which starts at $ 37,495 for 2021. Since the 2022 Civic is a pretty significant overhaul, we expect that version to cost roughly the same price when it goes on sale. , if it does not get a slight increase.

Photos

Honda Civic 2022 prototype
Honda Civic 2022 prototype
Honda Civic 2022 prototype
Honda Civic 2022 prototype

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