2012 Honda Civic Europe
European Honda lovers are singing in unison with Americans now that their Civic, like our new 2012 car, has been toned down. Each market received its own positively radical single-box shape in 2006. In redesigning both this year, Honda opted for slight evolutions rather than second helpings of futurism. On the Euro car, the continuous band of clear plastic across the nose has been replaced with a snout that includes more paint. The other most notable feature is the new taillights, in which a transparent light bar has given way to individually protruding warts. The car’s overall shape looks like a slightly more conservative design proposal for its predecessor.
It’s a similar story inside. While no panel has been carried over, the interior keeps the two-deck digital layout, which has been described to us by an admiring competitor as “contradicting every rule in the book but still functional and cool.” The lower level of the instrument panel now features gauges nestled in three protruding tubes, a stylistic element that belongs in ’60s Alfa Romeo sports cars but has been beaten to a horrible death in everyday cars over the past decade or so.
2012 Honda Civic Europe
Beyond the disappointing skin, however, there is remarkable improvement. This Civic is roomier than its predecessor, even though the new platform moves the fuel tank under the front seats. Also helping maximize cargo space is the car’s torsion-beam rear axle, which carries over from the previous Civic hatch but is stiffened here.
With the cancellation of the Type R, powered by a variation of the 8000-rpm screamer from the previous-generation, U.S.-market Civic Si, the engine portfolio has been watered down decisively. The remaining gas options are a 99-hp, 1.4-liter engine that Honda expects will need 13.4 seconds to get to 62 mph and a 140-hp 1.8-liter shared with the U.S. market. The hot-rod powerplant is a 148-hp, 2.2-liter turbo-diesel that should do the 0–60 deed in 8.5 seconds. A 1.6-liter diesel producing around 100 hp will be added in late 2012.
The three-door Civic is out of the picture, as are the sedan and the coupe. What about a Type R? Honda is considering several derivatives, and a sporty one is among them, says chief engineer Mitsuru Kariya. Honda strongly hints that the five-door Civic could be exported to Japan, and it is telling that both Kariya-san and chief designer Daisuke Sawai say that the new model is their favorite of all Civic models currently offered. As soon as the Type R follows, we will agree. Until then, we’ll stick with our U.S.-market Si.
