The Honda Civic will have a sporty makeover and updates to its steering system, suspension and interior. And, according to Honda SA, the updated range is on its way to South Africa.
The Honda Civic will have a sporty makeover and updates to its steering system, suspension and interior. And, according to Honda SA, the updated range is on its way to South Africa.
As can be seen from these pictures, the facelifted range looks noticeably sportier than the current Civic and features new projector-style headlamps, a larger badge on the grille and re-shaped bumpers.
The five-door version of the Civic has a reshaped tailgate, rear spoiler and tweaked rear bumper, and all models have revised taillight clusters. Executive models will have door mirror-mounted side indicator repeaters and body-coloured side sills.
Honda has further uprated the Civic’s steering and suspension systems, with a new variable-ratio steering rack, increased steering castor angle and recalibrated spring, damper and anti-roll bar settings. Noise-suppressing insulation is used more extensively and a new front subframe dynamic damper has been fitted.
According to the manufacturer, the technical revisions should “improve on-centre steering feel at high speed, steering response, ride comfort and smoothness.”
As for the interior, Honda has aimed for “a lighter and more elegant ambience”. The shape of the seats has been altered, and new fabrics are used.
There is more chrome-effect detailing, a new centre console, a rear centre cup holder, larger seat-back pockets, luminous instrumentation and steering wheel operated audio controls, trip computer and enlarged boot capacity through adoption of spacesaver spare wheel. Executive-spec models have dark grey titanium-coloured leather seats.
Honda SA marketing officer John Lawrence told CARtoday.com on Thursday that the facelifted range would become available on the local market when the company’s current stock of Civics had run out. Therefore, no official launch date had yet been set for the new range.
Honda SA expects that the current model lineup will be retained when the new range arrives, he added.