2017 Honda Civic hatchback prototype debuts in Geneva

Close to a month has passed by since a teaser image from Honda gave us a sneak peek into what the new Civic hatchback will look like. And now at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, Honda has unveiled the prototype of the same car. The hatchback is expected to join the sedan and coupe body styles from 2017.

Honda has designed quite an edgy car with lovable styling, which is a good thing, given the fact that the new Civic also have the job of clearing the air with the customers as the current Civic’s styling isn’t something that everyone loved. They have ditched the lanky styling of the current model for low-slung speedy aesthetics.

The prototype shown is 30 mm wider, 20 mm lower and 130 mm longer than the outgoing model. At the front, the sculpted hood and the aggressive bumper makes up for quite an attractive fascia. The LED headlamps and DRLs work well too. But the green LEDs are unlikely to be seen on the production model. The rear of the vehicle is also detailed well by the butch bumper, two spoilers and the dual exhaust tips mounted in the middle. The C-shaped tail lights along with the 3rd one, mounted on one of the spoilers enhance this look further.

The show car did not have an interior but it is thought to be similar to the one in the Coupe and the sedan. The car also had no engine on show but the Civic is expected to have the 1.0-litre 3-cylinder and the 1.5-litre 4-cylinder iVTEC gasoline engines on offer along with the 1.6 iDTEC diesel engine. A 6-speed manual or a CVT will be a part of the specs as well.

The Civic hatchback is slated to be manufactured at Honda’s Swindon factory in UK and it is expected to hit European showrooms by 2017. It is unclear how this model will be offered alongside the existing Civic Type-R, which is also a 5-door hatchback that just debuted less than 2 years ago. Either way, none of them seem to be coming to the GCC.