What It Is: The Honda Civic sedan, Generation 9.1. Honda’s famous compact car was all-new last year, but we and other critics ripped the car for banal looks and a cheap-feeling interior. Honda’s CEO said the company was racing ahead on a refresh—normally not done until a car is three or four years old—to address these problems. These pictures show a cleaned-up exterior and a grille more like the new Accord’s. Although we can’t see this car’s interior, that’s where we’re expecting the biggest upgrades: better materials and a more appealing design.
Why It Matters: That the ninth-gen car was anything less than perfect was a nasty black eye for Honda. It’s had a phenomenal sales year so far, but no company can rely on name inertia and “pretty good” products these days. The Civic is Honda’s second-most-popular product, and, with the Accord, defines the company’s brand here.
Platform: The platform should carry over from the current car virtually unchanged.
Powertrain: Honda is conservative with engines on all-new models. Since this is a refresh, don’t expect anything to change from the current car. The 140-hp inline-four will return as the mainstay engine, and the Si will keep its 201-hp mill.
Competition: Chevy Cruze, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda 3, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Corolla.
Estimated Arrival Time and Price: Dealers should have stock by the beginning of December. Prices won’t change more than incrementally from those of the current car, which starts at $16,545.
