Honda shows facelifted Euro Civic hatch with new Sport variant

Wed, 24 Sep 2014

Honda has released the details on its freshened Euro-spec Civic ahead of its debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, whose media days are set to open next week. Aside from a fairly pleasant visual upgrade for both the standard Civic as well as the Civic Tourer, Paris will also see the arrival of a new Civic Sport model.

The new Civic wears a sportier front fascia, while the rear end is home to a new, stylish set of LED taillights. Honda has also revised the rear bumper, side skirts and spoiler. In the cabin, a new, Android-powered infotainment system called Honda Connect takes its place in the center stack, providing typical functions like radio, media, navigation and Bluetooth, as well as the ability to browse the Internet. The entire system is confined by a seven-inch display that offers pinch, swipe and tap functions that should be familiar to smartphone owners.

The big news, though, is the new Sport model (shown above). While this isn't a Civic Type R – with its 1.8-liter, 140-horsepower engine, it's not even a decaf Type R – it does deliver some more aggressive looks to the Civic line. There are standard 17-inch wheels, as well as a new, sportier Type R-inspired front fascia and a color-coded rear spoiler. Alongside that 1.8-liter gas engine is a 118-hp diesel mill that displaces 1.6 liters.

Take a look below for the full press release from Honda.

New Design, New Technology and a New Sport Derivative for the Civic Range
New sporty exterior and interior styling upgrades for Honda Civic and Civic Tourer models
Introduction of new Civic Sport with visual links to forthcoming Type R
New in-car entertainment and technology system introduced across the line-up
New automatic low-speed braking system applied as standard across the range
Class-leading trunk space of 477 (Civic) and 624 (Tourer) litres with the rear seats upright

Ahead of the 2014 Mondial de l'Automobile in Paris, Honda has released images and details of several enhancements across the 2015 Civic model range and the launch of the new Civic Sport derivative.

Both the Civic and Civic Tourer benefit from a new front exterior design, providing a new sporty outlook for the model featuring new headlamps with integrated daytime running lights and a new sleek front bumper. The Civic hatchback also features a new rear bumper, side skirts, a rear spoiler finished in black, and LED rear combination lamps.

In-keeping with these premium enhancements on the outside, the 2015 models also receive a specification upgrade inside; with new seat fabrics and stitching on the headrests, new door trims with chrome door handles and a control panel finished in a metallic black.

These aesthetic enhancements combine nicely with the class-leading interior space for which the range is renowned. The Civic's 477-litre and Civic Tourer's 624-litre trunk capacity remain the best in their respective segments.

The 2015 Civic range will also premiere the all-new Honda Connect in-car audio and information system. Honda Connect offers convenience and connectivity whilst on the road, with key features including; AM/FM, DAB and Internet Radio, Bluetooth connectivity, internet browsing, satellite navigation* and rear-view parking camera.

The system runs Android 4.0.4 and features the familiar pinch, swipe and tap functionality of a smartphone on a seven inch display screen.

New Civic Sport derivative

The European Civic line-up has been expanded with the introduction of a new derivative, the new Civic Sport. Based on the Civic hatchback, and powered by the 1.6-litre i-DTEC, 120 PS diesel engine or the 1.8-litre I-VTEC, 142 PS petrol engine, it features a colour-coded rear spoiler and 17-inch alloy wheels unique to the Sport derivative. In addition, the Civic Sport echoes the striking design of the forthcoming Type R with a new front bumper featuring a lower grille mesh and a black roof lining for the cabin.

Each model in the 2015 Civic range will benefit from the addition of Honda's City- Brake Active (CTBA) system as standard. Specifically designed to help avoid or mitigate low speed accidents, the system uses radar technology to scan the road ahead, automatically applying the brakes if an imminent risk of collision is detected. The system is engineered to operate at speeds below 30 km/h.

Honda's press conference will take place at the 2014 Paris Motor Show in Hall 3, at 16:45 CET on Thursday 2 October.

By Brandon Turkus