The five-door Civic has typically been a forbidden fruit built by and for Europeans, but that’s set to change soon. Confirming a recent rumor, Honda has announced that it will ship the next-generation Civic hatchback from its factory in Swindon, England to the United States for the first time ever in a bid to turn around its struggling European division.
The dark teaser image published by Honda suggests the five-door hatchback borrows more than a few styling cues from the head-turning coupe model that was introduced recently. Notably, the rear fascia receives C-shaped tail lamps and a spoiler integrated into the trunk lid. The sketch also reveals that the hatchback features a rakish D-pillar, meaning it will look much sleeker than similarly-sized five-doors like the Volkswagen Golf and the Chevrolet Cruze Hatch.
As has always been the case, technical details will vary greatly from market to market. On our shores, the Civic will be offered with gasoline-burning four-cylinder engines borrowed from Honda’s parts bin. Buyers will be asked to choose between an automatic and a manual transmission, but front-wheel drive will be the only configuration offered. Finally, a hot-rodded, Type R-badged model with over 300 horsepower on tap will join the lineup towards the end of the decade.
Honda will introduce its next concept in the coming weeks, and DT Cars will be on the show floor in Switzerland to bring you live images of it as soon as the veil is lifted. Designers will tone down the concept and turn it into a production model that’s widely expected to make its global debut this fall at the Paris Auto Show. The hatchback will go on sale across Europe early next year, and in the United States shortly after as a 2018 model.
