43 Years after achieving a foot-hold on the American Car Market, and changing perceptions about Japanese Car Makers, the Civic continues to tread on solid ground while improving all aspects of design and reliability.
According to Honda, the new 2016 Civic in all its formats has been designed completely new “from the ground up.” Compared to the outgoing Civic, the new Civic Sedan has been built on a platform with a wheelbase 1.2 inches longer and it is 2 inches wider and 1 inch lower also. There are some drastic design changes as well. No longer is it a “boring” design. For example, the front-end has borrowed an Acura inspired chrome grille across the headlights, which now sport LED accents.
The changes are not only on the exterior, as now, the US Honda Civic offers a turbocharged engine option which will be paired with either a six-speed manual transmission or a CVT. One interesting news is the statement from Honda which says the new Civic Sedan will have fuel economy ratings in “excess of 40 mpg.”
Honda states that this 10th-Generation-Civic boasts ultra-high-strength steel on its platform and about 12 percent of the unibody is also composed of the material compared to just 1 percent from the previous model. This addition results in 25 percent better torsional rigidity. In spite of the steel addition and longer body, the new Civic has shed almost 70 pounds off the weight of its unibody. Hydraulic compliance bushings have been used to isolate road vibration and improve the quality of the ride, while beefing up the rear stabilizing bars and including disc brakes as standard issue.
In addition to extra Leg Room, and extra interior space, the trunk has also grown by 2.6 cubic feet. More upper finishes have been included, such as soft-touch dashboard features, molded stitching, heated seats, and 7 inch HD Display Audio Touchscreen. The 2016 Honda Civic will be available with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Smart Phone Integration Systems.
Indeed, this 10th generation new 2016 Honda Civic is bound to extend that which it once accomplished 43 years ago… for another 43 years?
By Jorge Reano
