What's the news?
Honda showed a lot of good stuff on its stand at the Geneva Motor Show but the key news was the first look at the next generation of Civic, due out in 2017.
Exterior
Wow. Used to be that C-section hatchbacks were boring to behold, but more and more of them look properly striking these days (Mazda3, SEAT Leon, Peugeot 308, Renault Megane, Opel Astra and so on) - and if this Civic is close to the finished design, the Honda could move straight to the top of the class. It's 30mm wider, 20mm lower and 130mm longer than the current ninth-gen car, and rather brilliantly we reckon from the front three-quarters it evokes the sixth-gen 'EK' models - which included the legendary original Civic Type R, the EK9.
A lot of the extra length has gone into the wheelbase, so the cabin is said to be much roomier, while the rear end has been visually lowered and now has a one-piece rear screen, which addresses the current car's biggest problem of rearward visibility. But just drink in some of the good stuff - the large air intakes at the front, the mean headlamps, that dramatic rear, the crisp and clean swage line running along its flanks. Come on, Honda, keep it looking like this, please.
Interior
The show car was a prototype only, without even an engine, so there's no word on the interior. Honda's cabins have been a bit lacklustre in recent years, and nowhere is this more evident than in the interiors of the CR-V and the outrageous Civic Type R, but in newer models like the Jazz and HR-V, the signs are there that the Japanese firm is starting to turn the corner. If the new Civic's cabin looks half as good as its exterior, we should all be laughing.
Mechanicals
There might have been no engine in the Civic prototype at Geneva but we know what will power it. It's going to feature turbocharged engines and not just for the existing 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel; although that itself will be revised with tech to reduce friction, improve emissions and increase fuel economy. No, the bigger news is on the petrol side, where the Civic will be the first European model to sport two all-new units: a 1.0- and a 1.5-litre, both VTEC turbos. Honda claims these motors use turbochargers with a low moment of inertia and high responsiveness, while variable valve motion technology promises 'class-leading output and environmental performance'.
Anything else?
Alongside the Civic prototype at GIMS were: the Clarity Fuel Cell, making its European debut following the global unveil in Tokyo last year, which has a 700km range from its hydrogen-powered drivetrain; the hybrid supercar NSX, which has already gone on sale in the US; the Jazz 'Keenlight' Concept, which essentially just highlights the potential for visual personalisation of Honda's city car; and a couple of run-out editions of the existing Civic hatch and Tourer ranges, designed to bolster sales, called the 1.4 S Limited Edition and the Style. Oh, and the RA272, which was Honda's F1 contender from 1965. Which is nice.