Honda Australia has confirmed the first batch of the 11th-generation, 2022 Civic hatch vehicles have landed locally, with the manufacturer drumming up excitement for the official launch of the first new Civic in six years. It is set to hit dealerships before the end of 2021.
As per usual with the launch of a new Honda Civic, the car is faced with the monumental task of once again raising Honda’s already substantial bar in terms of design, performance, features, safety and technology.
We were able to report earlier this year that Honda’s styling package has departed from the sharp, tech-inspired design language of its predecessor, now going for a smoother and cleaner look, as well as the confirmation that the 11th generation Civic will receive an “uprated” version of Honda’s 1.5-litre turbo VTEC four-cylinder.
While we’re yet to receive any official word from Honda as to the powertrain specs and outputs, Honda has confirmed that the 1.5-litre turbocharged VTEC four-cylinder has “been updated for more power and torque, quicker response, improved fuel efficiency and quieter operation”. Overseas, the outgoing model already pushes out 134kW, which is more than 127kW that we get in Australia. A similar engine is also found in the CR-V, developing 140kW. These could provide some clues.
This will be joined by a hybrid variant at some point in 2022, however, we haven’t been given any cement details on the petrol-electric variant, either. So, we’ll have to wait and see closer to its official launch to know more.
The company has also confirmed that the development process of the latest Civic saw some heavy tuning conducted on European roads to improve its handling and steering dynamics, as well as ensuring a comfortable ride.
This is in addition to the chassis improvements that we already know about, including a 36mm extension to the wheelbase, and a 19 per cent increase in torsional rigidity over the outgoing Civic.
Honda says that Australian Civics will be produced at its Saitama Factory Yorii automobile plant in the Saitama Prefecture, Japan, rather than Thailand where a number of Australian-delivered Honda vehicles are produced. Honda Australia said in a statement:
“The wait for the all-new 11th-generation Honda Civic is almost over, with a small initial lot of vehicles arriving in Australia last week to begin the countdown to launch. More shipments of the all-new Civic are scheduled to arrive over the coming weeks, ahead of officially going on sale at Honda Centres around the country before the end of the year.”
Expect to see and hear more details of the 11th generation Civic closer to its official launch at some point before the end of this year.
