Next-gen Honda Civic hatch will be almost indentical to coupe, according to UK boss

Philip Crossman, the boss of Honda UK, has told Autocar that only the rear third of the new Civic five-door hatch differs significantly from the Civic Coupe Concept.

Unlike the present hatch, which is based on an expanded version of the Jazz's underpinnings, the next-gen Civic hatch will share a new platform with its sedan and coupe namesakes. This will likely mean that the new hatch will lose its rear Magic Seats, which can be folded and pushed into a large number of cargo carrying configurations.

According to Crossman, development of the hatch is underway at the company's facilities in the US, UK and Japan, but production is at least 18 months away.

The Honda UK boss also says that the next Civic hatch will be offered with a "class-leading hybrid powertrain in the next five years and it’s likely to make as much impact as the VTEC valve system".

Honda's plant in Swindon, UK, will be the sole worldwide source of the next-generation Civic hatch, with exports to Asia and the USA on the cards.

If the leaked patent drawings we saw last week prove to be accurate, the next-generation Civic coupe will differ from the concept version only in certain details, such as the aggressiveness of the bumpers and bodykit, application of chrome, and alloy wheel and tyre selection.

At the launch of the Civic Coupe Concept, the company promised that the tenth-generation of famous nameplate would mark a return to the car's sporty heritage.

American versions, at least, will be offered with the company's new 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Over there, the sedan goes on sale from around the middle of the year, while the coupe hits showrooms near the end of the year.

A refreshed version of the current Civic hatch (above) has just arrived in Australian showrooms. It sports refreshed styling, and added equipment.