Next-Generation Civic To Fulfil New Role For Honda In Australia

Honda Australia has announced pricing and specifications for the all-new 11th-generation Civic, which raises the bar for the company’s iconic small car nameplate in every conceivable way – design, performance, quality, safety and technology. 

The all-new Civic has been reimagined for a new generation of drivers, with a clean and modern interpretation of Honda’s longstanding ‘Man-Maximum/Machine-Minimum’ design philosophy that has produced sophisticated styling, premium quality and an intense focus on the user experience.

The arrival of the all-new, 11th-generation Civic is the first step in a three-phase rollout for Honda’s iconic small car in Australia, with an e:HEV hybrid variant to join the line-up in 2022, followed by the high-performance Type R version, which is set to be the best performing Civic Type R ever produced.

The all-new Civic hatch will initially be offered as a single, highly specified VTi LX grade powered by an uprated 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine producing 131 kW of power and 240Nm peak torque, driving the front wheels via a redeveloped and improved continuously variable transmission (CVT).

“The 11th-generation Civic represents a step-change for Honda in the small car segment, with the all-new model elevating key aspirational elements of the Honda brand such as craftsmanship, premium quality and intuitive design,” said Stephen Collins, Director, Honda Australia.

“On the eve of its 50th anniversary, Honda’s designers and engineers have taken the Civic to a whole new level, producing a car that is more advanced, more sophisticated and more premium than ever before.

“For Australia, the all-new Civic has been specified to appeal to a new target customer, one that aligns with the move to a more premium positioning for the Civic nameplate and the Honda brand overall.”

The premium positioning of the all-new Civic is reflected in its design and specification, which aligns with the new product strategy for Honda in Australia:

• Right-size the business and sell a sustainable number of vehicles to support profitability
• Focus on premium specification and high-series grades
• Streamlined product line-up with an emphasis on growth segments, specifically SUVs
• Create space for all-new products now on the horizon
• Introduce additional hybrid models to meet increasing market demand for electric vehicles

“When developing the market proposition for the all-new Civic, we needed to ensure it aligned with the overall product strategy for Honda in Australia,” said Collins.

“The new generation car is uniquely Civic, it dials up the product experience in a premium way while still delivering on the Honda distinctiveness and ‘joy’ philosophy, but with an edge.

“This elevation of Civic will be further reinforced when the e:HEV hybrid and ultra-performance Type R variants are revealed in 2022 and arrive to complete the new Civic range.”

Over the course of 11 generations, the Civic has played numerous roles for the company and for customers.

At the introduction of the first-generation Civic in 1972, it was heralded as the beginning of a new era for Japanese automotive design and engineering, and praised by motoring journalists for its fun-to-drive dynamics, quality construction and world-class fuel efficiency.

With every subsequent generation, Civic has continued to evolve – from the innovative and classically styled third-generation hatchback with its pioneering ‘long-roof’ design, to the fifth-generation Civic, which became the new benchmark for its class and ushered in a new generation of tuners with its sporty design and use of exotic VTEC® variable valve timing and lift.

With the eighth-generation the Civic matured, growing in size and equipment as the needs of small car buyers changed. That evolution continued with the 10th-generation model, which was one of the most ambitious and comprehensive new model programs ever undertaken by Honda, delivering a dynamic rejuvenation of the Civic nameplate.

The new generation hatch continues the Civic tradition of innovation, design leadership and outstanding driving dynamics. It boasts a clean, modern design paired with a high-tech, human-centred interior and equipped with the latest advanced active and passive safety systems.

When compared to the specification of the outgoing 10th-generation Civic VTi-LX, the latest Civic is equipped with a raft of new, premium features and technologies, including:

• Blind Spot Monitoring
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert
• Knee airbags – driver and front passenger
• Traffic Jam Assist
• Driver attention monitor
• 9-inch Advanced Display Audio touchscreen system (largest ever fitted to a Honda vehicle)
• Wireless Apple Car Play
• Qi-compatible wireless phone charger
• Bose premium sound system with 12-speaker
• Over the Air (OTA) display audio software and navigation map updates
• 18-inch alloy wheels with noise-reducing resonator technology
• Pop-up bonnet safety system
• Acoustic windscreen
• ‘Smart Clear Wiper’ windscreen wiper/washer system
• Heated & auto-retractable door mirrors
• Plasmacluster ion-based air purification technology
• Suede-inset seat trim with seamless panelling
• Four-way electrically adjustable front passenger seat
• Rear passenger air vents
• Ambient door trim and front footwell lighting

The most premium, sophisticated and high-tech Civic yet, the all-new 11th-generation model will launch in a single, well-equipped VTi LX grade with a national drive-away price of $47,200^*.

Manufactured at the Saitama Factory Yorii Automobile Plant in the Saitama Prefecture in Japan, the new Civic will officially go on sale at Honda Centres around Australia on December 6, 2021.

* National drive away price, excluding accessories