Honda Civic hatch teased
Japanese brand confirms Paris motor show reveal for all-new hatch
The car that could put Honda back on top of the small car shopping list will be revealed later this month.
The Japanese car maker has confirmed the hatchback version of the latest 10th generation Civic will be revealed at the upcoming 2016 Paris motor show.
It has revealed little in the way of detail and has issued a single image of the rear of the car, but it is expected to arrive in Australian showrooms within the first half of 2017 with a model range that is expected to mirror the recently launched sedan.
That means there will be a choice of five variants - from the entry-level VTi through to a fully-loaded VTi-LX - with the lower-grade models powered by a 1.8-litre naturally-aspirated four cylinder and higher-grade models featuring the company's new 1.5-litre turbo charged four cylinder. If it does mirror the sedan range, all will be front wheel drive with a CVT automatic and, even in base trim, come equipped with a comprehensive suite of electronic driver aids including automated emergency braking, forward collision and lane departure warnings and adaptive cruise control, as well as conveniences such as Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone mirroring.
Honda Australia has yet to indicate whether the hatchback will slot in below - or match - the pricing of the sedan range, which starts at $22,390 (plus on-roads) for the VTi and tops out at $33,590 (plus on-roads) for the VTi-LX.
While Honda has introduced a sports-focussed RS variant with the Civic sedan, the hatchback will exclusively form the basis of the hotly anticipated Type R which is set to challenge the likes of the Ford Focus RS, Volkswagen Golf R and the upcoming third-generation Renault Sport Megane RS as the fastest, most engaging machine in the hot hatch segment.