2022 Honda Civic sedan officially released in the US but not coming to Australia

The 2022 Honda Civic sedan has been officially uncovered in the US. While the new, 11th-generation Civic car may be set to arrive at American showrooms by September 2021, it will not be coming to Australia, with Honda’s local arm rather selecting to focus on the stronger-selling hatchback body style, which is expected to be disclosed within the next few months.

In typical Honda form, the showroom-ready Civic car is everything except indistinguishable on the styling front to the close production Civic Prototype car disclosed in November 2020, with differences generally restricted to unique alloy wheel designs, a revised lower front bumper, non-colored tail-lights, and a simpler rear bumper.

In advance, a slim grille (with a body-colored upper lip) is flanked by LED headlights, sitting over a huge central intake and a small inbuilt chin spoiler.

The new car’s body lines and side profile are particularly cleaner than those of the active model, while the C-pillar takes inspiration from the bigger Accord (and, unintentionally, the US-market Cadillac CT5).

At the back, L-shaped tail-light signatures supplant the 10th-generation model’s ‘claws’, while a ‘ducktail’ lip spoiler is incorporated into the tailgate. ‘Sport’ variants include dual exhaust tips.

American purchasers have access to a catalogue of optional Honda Performance Development visual parts, including an extended front splitter, a black rear lip spoiler, deeper side skirts, and unique alloy wheels.

Inside, a 9.0-inch tablet-style infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and satellite navigation sits on the dashboard on higher grades, while a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster before the driver is accessible for the first time.

The actual dashboard bears retro-inspired visual similitudes to the adorable Honda E electric hatch, with a honeycomb grille spanning across its width that doubles as an air-conditioning vent, and grey wood-like materials around the gear selector.

Accessible features incorporate a 12-speaker Bose sound system, wireless phone charging, dual-zone climate control, heated seats, and a choice of white or black leather trim.

Dimensionally, the new Civic vehicle measures in at 4674mm long, 1801mm wide, and 1415mm high, on a 2736mm wheelbase – 33mm longer overall and 36mm longer in wheelbase, yet indistinguishable in height and width.

The A-pillar has been moved rearwards by almost 50mm for a more rear-wheel drive, longitudinal appearance, while the rear track is up to 13mm more extensive.

The chassis has been modified versus the active model, with the new vehicle offering eight percent more noteworthy torsional rigidity and a 13 percent expansion in twisting rigidity.

Noise, vibration, and harshness have all allegedly been improved, while revised suspension geometry and an aluminum front subframe guarantee to deliver a sportier drive.

Boot space is rated at up to 419 liters.

American purchasers will have a choice of two petrol engines, both matched to CVT automatic transmissions just driving the front wheels.

LX and Sport variants both feature a 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder developing 118kW and 187Nm – indistinguishable from the active, US-market Civic’s 2.0-liter engine – while EX and Touring grades upgrade to a 1.5-liter turbo four-cylinder making 134kW and 240Nm (up to 7kW and 20Nm).

For reference, Australian-delivered versions of the active Civic offer a decision of 104kW/174Nm 1.8-liter naturally-aspirated petrol four-cylinder, or 127kW/220Nm 1.5-liter turbo petrol four-cylinder engines.

It’s likely the American Civic vehicle’s 1.5-liter turbo-four will be offered in local Civic hatch models, however precisely which naturally-aspirated engine will be offered isn’t clear.

Mid-level Si and flagship Type R models will return for the new model, with reports out of Japan recommending the latter will receive hybrid technology for the first time and up to 300kW. A manual gearbox should return in at least one of the performance models.

A plug-in hybrid is reputed to be offered with the new Civic at a later date, however, Honda presently can’t seem to affirm subtleties.

The Japanese brand’s Honda Sensing active safety suite is accessible, including forwarding autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go and traffic-jam assist, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and low-speed reverse around AEB.

10 airbags are accessible, including rear side airbags, and redesigned dual front-seat airbags intended to lessen brain trauma from angled frontal collisions. New A-pillar and firewall designs, alongside stiffer roof, C-pillar, side sill, and B-pillar sections all expect to improve crash performance.

The 2022 Honda Civic sedan will go on sale in the US in the northern summer of 2021.

The Civic hatchback will be disclosed in the coming months, in front of the beginning of North American production in Canada by November 2021.

Notwithstanding, given Australian, non-performance models are relied upon to keep on being built in Thailand, when we’ll see production start for the local market isn’t clear.

Expect an Australian launch sometime in 2022.