2016 Honda Civic Sedan Arrives With Turbo Ambitions

Honda has taken the cover off its new Civic, sporting more aggressive looks, promised refinement, and a roomier and upgraded cabin with a high level of connectivity. This is the 10th-generation of the car that helped put Honda on the North American map.

The 2016 Honda Civic is is built on an all-new lightweight—yet stiffer—platform. It is nearly 2 inches wider and 1 inch lower with a 1.2-inch longer wheelbase compared to the outgoing model.

The Civic model line will include a coupe, sporty Si version, and a five-door hatchback. And, finally, the U.S. market will even get the high-zoot Civic Type-R.

The base engine for the 2016 Honda Civic is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder; a 1.5-liter turbo four-cylinder is optional. Honda did not disclose the actual horsepower numbers but said the 2.0 is “the most powerful base engine ever offered on [a] Civic.” Those faithful to manual transmission can rest easy: a six-speed is still offered. Most buyers, however, will opt for the continuously variable transmission, or CVT, a version of which underwhelmed us in the new Honda HR-V.



Honda says that the new car’s EPA highway fuel economy should be “in excess of 40 mpg.”

Suspension details include a redesigned strut-based front and a new multi-link rear, as well as burlier front and rear stabilizer bars.

The bane of Honda’s existence over the years has been high levels of interior noise, which, Honda says, will be much better with this new model. In an effort to quell the din, the 2016 Honda Civic uses new body-sealing techniques, a flush-mounted acoustic glass windshield, a more tightly sealed engine compartment, and triple-sealed doors.

The 2016 Civic sedan will be available with the Honda Sensing suite of safety equipment, including autonomous braking, road departure warning, and adaptive cruise control.

Inside, Honda claims that the 2016 model has the largest cabin in the compact segment; specifically, the new Civic gets two extra inches of rear-seat leg room as well as more trunk space. A 60/40-split folding rear seat is available on some trim lines.

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The 2016 Honda Civic also gets up-to-date connectivity features, such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Other equipment details include standard automatic climate control and available power adjustments and heating for the driver and passenger seats.

There was a time when Civics ruled our ratings, but the last several years have seen the once-mighty Honda play second fiddle to the Mazda3, Ford Focus, Subaru Impreza, and Hyundai Elantra. Will the new 2016 Honda Civic win over new buyers and become a solid contender again? We’ll let you know when we buy ours for testing.

Pricing and on-sale dates have not yet been announced.

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