Honda to Sell Futuristically Styled European-Market Civic

Hidden rear door handles and funky triangular-shaped exhaust pipes add to its custom look. (Photo: Honda Canada)

After eight generations (yes, it's been that long), the Civic finally gets the style it has always deserved. Gone is the tall, minivan shape, evident in the North American 3-door SiR (US-market Si hatch) shape, replaced by a wind-shaped teardrop drawn with a surprisingly sporty coupe-like profile. After establishing a stance that puts a wheel at each corner, Civic's design team went all out on the details, heavily inspired from the carrot-coloured concept car.

Carried over is the polycarbonate grille-cover, which tricks the eye into thinking the headlamp is one long beam a la '80s Mercury Sable or Pontiac Grand Prix. Hidden rear door handles and funky triangular-shaped exhaust pipes add to its custom look. In comparison, the VW Golf, Opel Astra and even Ford's radical second-generation Focus are yawn-inducingly boring.

While most cars grow in size and weight over the years, the latest Civic is smaller than the vehicle it replaces. Some 30 mm (1.8 inches) have been trimmed off the previous generation for a total length of 4.25 m (13.9 feet), but it's grown in wheelbase to 2.64 m (8.7 feet), and width to 1.76 m (5.8 feet). Though the Civic may be smaller, it's bigger and roomier than ever before. Smarter packaging, which moved the fuel tank closer to the centre of the car, and the addition of a torsion beam rear suspension allow an astonishing 415 litres (14.7 cubic feet) of cargo to be stored, despite the more rounded hatch. This increase, up from 370 litres (13.1 cubic feet) in the outgoing model, can be further increased with the addition of 'magic' seats, which bump cargo volume up to 485 litres (17.1 cubic feet) by tumbling upwards and folding flat against the back hatch, a process that takes just one hand to execute. This equals some 65 litres (2.3 cubic feet) more cargo space than the competing Ford or VW.

If you're still staring in disbelief at the new Civic's exterior styling, it may be best to turn your eyes away from the page because Honda's taken the sci-fi route in designing the interior of its latest compact creation. Modeled after a space ship (or possibly K.I.T.T from Night Rider), the cabin of the

Honda's taken the sci-fi route in designing the interior of its latest compact creation. (Photo: Honda Canada)

new Civic is completely left of the norm. The dashboard is highly complex, split into two tiers, both containing different controls and displays. The central instrument cluster is home to an oversized tach illuminated by Honda's traditional blue and white electroluminescent colour scheme. The speedometer and optional LCD information display are strategically positioned on the top shelf, putting the information in the driver's line of sight, which will help to keep his or her eyes on the road. While the car's appearance may be the subject of many a debate for years to come, there's no arguing that the new Civic is ergonomically designed. All major controls for adjusting the interior climate are canted towards the driver, while the stereo controls seem easily within reach.