When the 2022 Honda Civic prototype was revealed last year, it looked like something you’d see on the showroom floor.
The good news is the production-spec model looks essentially identical, so this should be very similar to the front end we’ll see on the Civic hatch when it arrives this year.
Leaked photos from China of the sedan were shared on the CivicXI.com forums.
We’ll miss out on that body style as Honda Australia transitions to a hatchback-only range for the 11th generation.
With the axing of the City, that’ll leave the Accord as the only sedan in the local line-up.
While we won’t get the Civic sedan, we’ll fortunately still get the Type R – though we suspect it’ll have a more subtle exterior than the lairy current model.
Type R manufacturing will move to the USA following the end of UK production.
Our regular Civic hatchbacks will likely continue to be sourced from Thailand, from where Honda Australia also sources the Accord, HR-V and CR-V.
While photographs haven’t been leaked of the hatch, patent images have and our spy photographers have also captured it.
These images reveal a much more subdued rear end design, with a simpler, cleaner bumper bereft of large cut-outs.
Both 11th generation body styles have a cleaner, crisper look than the outgoing model.
Like on Civics and Accords of yore, the new model has a low beltline and Honda has aimed for a “thin and light” body design with a low bonnet and front fenders.
The hatch’s beltline no longer rises sharply aft of the B-pillar, though there’s still an upkick past the C-pillar.
Visibility has been improved through the moving of the A-pillars further rearward, plus a repositioning of the side mirrors.
The reveal late last year also showed Honda’s adopted a cleaner look for the interior, too, with a straightforward dashboard and air vents hidden within a full-width mesh accent.
For the first time, Honda will offer the Civic with a digital instrument cluster. The touchscreen infotainment system also grows from 7.0 inches to 9.0 inches.
The new Civic will be one of three core models for the brand locally, along with the CR-V and upcoming redesigned HR-V.
Honda is paring back its line-up of cars in Australia and will start focusing more on high-spec models.
The City sedan has already gotten the chop and the Jazz hatch will follow it, though the Odyssey and Accord will live on in supporting roles.
You’ll no longer be able to haggle on the price of a Civic, with Honda Australia moving to a fixed-pricing model.
For more information on how Honda is changing the way it’s selling cars here, check out our explainer article.
