The 2016 Honda Civic is one of the most anticipated new cars of the year, as Honda promises to return the car back to its sporting roots.
For the 10th generation, the Civic gets its first turbocharged engine, a 1.5-liter EarthDreams four-cylinder that is available only with a continuously variable transmission. The naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter four cylinder gets 15 more horsepower than the outgoing engine.
Because of the press embargo, final specifications can’t be discussed. Driving impressions are also forbidden, but that didn’t stop TFL’s Roman Mica and HondaPro Jason from taking an exclusive sneak peek at the sedan.
The styling of the new Civic is definitely reminiscent of the updated Honda Accord, with the thick, chunky chrome grille with black accents. The Civic sedan also has a stylish coupe-like sloping rear end, which makes the trunk opening look almost as small as an original Mini, even though the trunk itself is large and deep.
Inside, the new Civic gets a completely reworked interior, eschewing the two-tiered approach of the last generation for a single-tiered digital display. The speedometer is still digital, but it’s surrounded by a semi-circular digital tachometer gauge.
The center console houses an updated infotainment system which, as in other newer Honda products, doesn’t have a physical volume knob. To compensate, Honda put a touch-sensitive volume control on the steering wheel next to the other infotainment controls. While the lack of knobs may be stylish, it’s not intuitive, as the temperature knob could be confused for a volume knob.
The press embargo lifts on October 19. Look for a full drive review of the 2016 Honda Civic along with a side-by-side comparison to some of its competitors like the Ford Focus, Mazda Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla.
For now, check out the exclusive sneak preview video with Roman and HondaPro Jason as they check out the new 2016 Honda Civic and take a quick trip through Civic’s 42 year history:
