The Civic team led by Mitsuru Kariya, the 'Large Project Leader', were given the task to create and develop the new Honda Civic. The current Civic became the benchmark focus for their research to create a car that was even better.
The development period for the new Honda Civic spanned over four years. As research commenced, the development team for the new Civic team considered these key milestones achieved with the current Honda Civic and opted to maintain and even look to enhance the current Civic model qualities. The current Honda Civic had already achieved superior interior space with matching trunk capacity among its competitors.
The Civic development team turned to drivers, dealers and the media to evaluate the existing Honda Civic and define the essential 'must keep' features and qualities, as well as the priorities for the new model. Drivers were impressed with the driving experience, but noted that suspension noise could be reduced and ride comfort increased.
Research revealed that the typical Honda Civic driver is attracted to unique, fresh design with sporty performance and advanced technologies. The environment was defined as a high priority, with customers demanding high fuel economy and low emissions.
Initial ideas for the new Civic explored the realm of the car having a 'Lean Energetic' design. This design direction translated into a 'Clean-Dynamic' design concept.
The new Civic's cab forward design is highlighted by a reduced amount of side glass relative to the surface of the side body in particular reducing the rear window glass area. Contributing to the low and planted look is the way in which the body lines have been designed for the new Honda Civic.
(Noriyuki Ishii, Exterior Design Project Leader)
The face resembles the Honda 'DNA' and features new high and low beam HID projector-type lights. As in the current Civic, the rear design identity features strong horizontal elements which enhance the car's wide stance and strong road presence. On the new car the rear lights are placed on a higher level to ensure good visibility from following cars.
The current Honda Civic is known for its unique futuristic interior design and sporty exterior styling yet also with spacious and versatile interior. The feeling is of a car designed around the driver - the ultimate expression of Honda's 'man maximum, machine minimum' principle.
The Civic's wider and lower exterior form contains the roomiest interior of any C-segment car. It has 1431mm of shoulder room between driver and front seat passenger and 795mm of tandem distance (between driver and rear seat passenger).
A quiet car also helps make the occupants feel safer at high speeds, as well as reducing fatigue.
A new testing program was developed whilst evaluating the overall quietness of the new Honda Civic. The new Honda Civic also features a completely smooth leather steering wheel. A major challenge for the Honda Civic engineers was to improve the handling of the car.
Customer feedback suggested that the car's rear design could be more sophisticated and that rear visibility could be improved. With the new Honda Civic the designers managed to integrate the tail light clusters in to the rear spoiler making it a dominant feature of the car and at the same time providing improved rear visibility.
The chief goal in the engine and transmission development was to maintain the high performance driving experience whilst improving the overall efficiency of the engine resulting in lower running costs.
Featured on the Civic for the first time, ECO Assist optimises fuel efficiency by minimising the differences in fuel consumption caused by varying driving styles. ECO Assist also improves the efficiency of the air conditioning system. The Honda Civic's ECO Assist system has been extensively tested on city, extra-urban and motorway test routes to optimise its performance for European driving conditions.
The new 2.2-litre i-DTEC engine created for the Honda Civic tops the C-segment in its balance of performance and emissions management. Most importantly, the engine has been refined to reduce engine friction as much as possible.
Reduced balancer bearing clearance
Reduced friction:
Piston ring tension has been reduced
The high pressure fuel pump flow rate has been reduced
A new diesel engine oil has been introduced for improved fuel saving performance.
Fuel economy was further improved by implementing a low pressure fuel pump system to reduce power consumption and the ACG multi-stage control system using a battery monitor.
The Honda Civic's 1.4 litre SOHC engine also benefits from Honda's advanced VTEC technology for efficient fuel management. The engine also has the new Idle Stop system and receives the same upgrades as the 1.8 litre engine, including new, low-viscosity engine oil, improved catalyser material, ACG multi-stage control and an improved knock control system. A new piston coating has been applied to reduce friction, boosting performance and reducing fuel consumption.
The system has been specifically set and fine-tuned to contribute to the smooth, comfortable driving experience offered by the new Honda Civic.
In line with improvements throughout the powertrain, the Civic's compact and lightweight 6-speed manual transmission has been updated contributing to increased performance and fuel efficiency. Manual transmission models feature a Shift Indicator Light (SIL) function in the driver display area.
This system was developed exclusively for Civic 5-door customers and offers smooth, easy operation in line with the vehicle's overall development principles. The Honda Civic's front suspension and steering system have been completely revised to improve handling and stability.
Following Honda's launch of the exciting and dynamic new Honda Civic, Honda Access Europe announces a comprehensive range of Genuine Accessories to personalize and enhance the car. Perfect for the customer who wants to enhance Honda Civic's sporty looks!
Next to the existing Civic alloy wheels, four new designs have been created to give the Civic that superior look.
Designed and tested to match the Honda Civic's bodywork, performance and towing capacity, a full-automatic detachable trailer hitch is available.
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