Honda nods to past with next Civic

LOS ANGELES — Honda is giving one of its core cars -- the Civic -- a reboot that reaches back in time for design cues while accentuating the crouching posture typical of sports sedans.

The interior also has been overhauled to echo the clean, uncluttered lines of earlier generation Civics.

Honda, which revealed a prototype of the 11th-generation compact Civic on streaming platform Twitch late Tuesday, said the car, its top seller, will go on sale in late spring 2021 as a sedan. It will be followed months later by a Civic hatchback, as well as Si and Type R variants.

Honda has discontinued the Civic coupe.

The Civic, a key entry point for the brand for decades, has remained the top-selling compact car this year, with U.S. sales of 200,941 through the third quarter, a decline of 21 per cent.

Canadian Civic sales were down 33 per cent to 33,028 in the third quarter, but the car still led the compact segment, selling nearly 8,000 more than the Toyota Corolla.

Honda remains committed to cars and appears willing to inject some excitement in the compact segment by showcasing the prototype in a bold new orange color, Solar Flare Pearl, along with a design sketch of the prototype's interior. No mechanical information was provided, although Honda did say there will be an increase in horsepower, in general. Pricing was not announced.

"The 11th-generation Civic draws inspiration from timeless elements of Honda design, including a low and wide stance, low beltline, clean and sophisticated detailing, and an open and airy cabin," the company said in a statement.

"The new face of Civic features a clean and sophisticated look, emphasizing a low and wide stature with strong horizontal elements, including offsetting the upright grille below the headlights," Honda said. "In profile, the Civic's greenhouse is moved rearward on the body, elongating the hood for a more premium side view."

The interior of the Civic is also simplified compared to the current model.

"The all-new Civic will get a dramatic interior makeover as it reimagines the clean and uncluttered lines of earlier generations of Civic," Honda said. "Stretching the width of the dash is a honeycomb mesh accent, which serves not only as a design element, but also conceals the visually busy air vents."

Honda, which eschews rental and other fleet business, said the Civic is the best-selling U.S. car on a retail basis in the U.S. The midsize Toyota Camry is the best-seller overall, when retail and fleet sales are tallied, according to sales numbers through the third quarter.

Honda chose the Twitch streaming service for the Civic's reveal on Tuesday because of the automaker's sponsorship of esports and the Civic's appeal to younger buyers.