02 Mar 05
This was not what we expected. Honda's Civic pioneered the move towards tall hatchbacks with a hint of MPV, and now it has given us this. This is the Civic Concept, otherwise to be known as the next-generation Civic to go on sale later this year. It's lower, wider and massively sportier to look at, and most of the luminescent metallic orange show car's detailing will carry through to production.
That includes the full-width front grille and light unit, a look that's a kind of cross between familiar Honda and Citroën SM. The rear doors are shorter than the front ones, and feature hidden handles like those of an Alfa 156 or 147.
Designer Toshiyuki Okumoto, who's 36 years old but looks a decade younger, explains what has happened, and why the Civic is no longer tall. "We wanted to express the sportiness of Honda," he says, "but I'm confident there's a very good interior package. We wanted the car to look like it would be fun to drive."
The show car has no interior, so it will be interesting to see how much space the final version will have. And will it be available in that livid colour? "No comment," says Okumoto. There will however be a three-door version, and almost certainly a Type-R. As with the current car, the new Civic - the eighth model range to bear the name - will be built at Swindon. Engines will include Honda's excellent 2.2-litre turbodiesel, which will also be Swindon-made. Honda has high hopes for this Civic, and is aiming it at the premium segment populated by the Audi A3, BMW 1-Series and Alfa 147.
