Honda has revealed the first official images of its new Honda Civic hatchback, which will go on sale in Europe in autumn 2022.
Like the new HR-V and Honda Jazz, the Civic will be a hybrid-only proposition for its next generation, using the same e:HEV gasoline-electric set-up as its supermini and SUV siblings.
The e:HEV system pairs a 1.5-liter Atkinson cycle gasoline engine with a pair of electric motors, producing 108bhp in the Jazz and 129bhp in the HR-V. In hybrid mode, the gasoline engine is used to generate power for the electric motor, reconnecting to the drive wheels via a single-speed gearbox under higher loads.
The larger Honda CR-V SUV comes with a bigger 143bhp 2.0-liter gasoline engine as part of its e:HEV system, but it is not yet confirmed which variations of the powertrain will be rolled out to Honda's Ford Focus rival.
The Civic is the final model in Honda's European portfolio to go hybrid-only, in line with its objective to electrify all mainstream passenger cars by the end of next year.
The hot Civic Type R, however, will retain a pure-combustion set-up, likely to be based around an evolved version of the current car's 'K20C1' 2.0-liter turbo four, which produces 316bhp - making it one of the most powerful front-drive cars on sale today.
The Japanese firm has taken an evolutionary approach for the 11th-generation Civic's styling, though notably the new car adopts a fastback-style sloping roofline, ditching the current model's prominent rear wing. The rear hatch itself is said to be lighter, and features smaller hinges for a cleaner roofline, while the A-pillars are two inches further back than on the current car and the wheelbase is 1.4in longer.
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