► We take a look at thew new Honda Civic prototype
► It’s angle-galore with sharp edges and low stance
► Will benefit from new 1.0 and 1.5-litre engines
1) Heart attack – it’s less radical than 2005’s interstellar makeover but the 10th-gen Civic prototype is set to have some of the company’s core clientele reaching for the beta-blockers. With its low stance and riot of angles and creases, the new Civic looks more Subaru than Stannah.
2) Sporty stance – Honda is promising the sportiest Civic yet, with an emphasis on driver enjoyment. Beneath the wild bodywork it’s 30mm wider, 20mm lower and 130mm longer.
3) Purest green – do the lime green accents suggest environmental concern? Well, Civic 10 will be the first European model to benefit from the firm’s new 1.0 and 1.5 turbocharged direct-injection petrol engines. Hopefully these also mean an end to Honda’s typical dearth of torque.
4) Swindon’s finest – existing 1.6 turbodiesel gets a lighter, stronger crankshaft and open-deck die-cast aluminium block. As before the Civic will be built in Swindon, set for a €270m investment. Due early 2017.
Read more from the April 2016 issue of CAR magazine