At the New York Auto Show, Honda surprised the assembled auto journalists and show goers with the eye catching bright green 2016 Honda Civic Concept, a car they say is spitting distance to the production model coming to showrooms soon.
The all-new 2016 Honda Civic will go on sale this fall in its 10th-generation, a model that will try to recapture the youthful performance image, styling excitement and status it has enjoyed in the past.
To be available in a sedan, a coupe like the sexy concept car shown here and a five-door hatch, it will not only be available in Si models but the long desired Type-R performance flagship which is most likely depicted by this concept car.
This will usher in a new range of powertrains, the most noteworthy being the first of multiple turbocharged VTEC engines to go on sale here in the United States.
One of them will be a new 1.5-liter VTEC turbo engine which will be available both with a short-shifting 6-speed manual transmission and a continuously variable transmission. The latter Honda says should offer class leading fuel economy.
A new chassis will underpin the 2016 Civic which we can hope brings back some of the high-feature dynamics that the tuner-import world loved so much about the iconic model in the past. But alas, we will have to wait.
While no specifications were offered at the 2016 Honda Civic Concept reveal, they did share its styling is near production intent. And it shows Honda has heard the critics of the last decade saying they were a bit less than exciting.
Designed here in the U.S., the 2016 Honda Civic has a longer wheelbase and a longer hood. This combined with shorter overhangs gives it a more planted stance with a cabin further set back from its nose.
Wheels are pushed out for a more aggressive look which ties into the theme pounded home by a rakish coupe roof line and deeply sculpted and charismatic front fascia. LED lighting is featured, specifically the headlamps with are rumored to be production intent.
That makes sense, as the Toyota Corolla to which it competes comes standard with LED headlights. At the rear, a more aggressive design can be found not only in the huge wing but in the continuous LED tail lamp bar.
Like most all new-cars this year, the 2016 Honda Civic will be available with improved safety including driver assistance systems for collision avoidance with warnings for about every little thing you could do wrong.
The 2016 Honda Civic we get here in North America will of course be unique to us in many ways. It was designed here, engineered here and will be built here in both Greensburg, Indiana and Alliston, Ontario. The five-door hatch will be built in the UK.
