2017 Honda Civic Hatchback Prototype Brings Sporty, Euro Styling to North American Debut in New York

Mar 22, 2016 - NEW YORK

• New Turbo technology for manual transmissions confirmed for entire 2017 Civic lineup
• New Civic hatchback prototype offers best look yet at Euro sport hatch-inspired compact car
• Assertive stance and distinctive new design establishes 10th generation as the sportiest Civic ever

The next-generation Civic Hatchback, with its striking design and the promise of a sporty, European-inspired driving experience, today made its North American debut in prototype form just a day before the 2016 New York International Auto Show. American Honda Motor Co., Inc. also confirmed that it will marry the all-new 1.5-liter turbo engine to its 6-speed manual transmission for more sporty and dynamic performance. The arrival of the production 2017 Civic Hatchback later this year marks the continued rollout of the 10th-generation Civic lineup, the sportiest and most expansive family of Civics in the car's 44-year history. The Civic Sedan was recently named the 2016 North American Car of the Year, and sales of Civic are up 37 percent through the first two months of 2016.

Being built on the same world-class platform as the 10th-generation Civic Sedan, the 2017 Civic Hatchback will be defined by an unparalleled combination of sportiness, efficiency and utility, with distinctive styling and premium features that enthusiasts demand. The five-door hatchback will feature one powertrain for the U.S. market, a 1.5-liter DOHC direct-injected Turbo engine that can be mated to either a sporty CVT or a slick-shifting 6-speed manual transmission.

"The Civic Hatchback wraps the 10-generation Civic platform and five-door hatchback utility in emotional, Euro-inspired styling," said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president and general manager of the Honda Division of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "Offered with the first application of the 1.5-liter turbo engine paired with a manual transmission, this sportiest Civic to date will attract a whole new set of enthusiasts buyers to the model and Honda brand."

The Civic Hatchback will launch later this year as the third new Civic variant, joining the 2016 Civic Sedan and Civic Coupe. The 10th-generation Civic lineup will be rounded out in 2017 with the arrival of Civic Si variants and the radical new Civic Type R.

The 2017 Civic Hatchback was developed by the joint efforts of Honda R&D teams in Europe and Japan and is expected to bring new buyers into the Honda showroom here in the U.S.

"We knew that we needed to create a striking and stand-out exterior design that challenged conventional European compact styling while staying true to the original Civic's core values," said Daisuke Tsutamori, chief exterior stylist for the 2017 Civic Hatchback Prototype. "This vehicle represents a marriage of distinctive and sporty design, rewarding driving dynamics and versatile practicality."

New larger and wider wheels and tires give a feeling of an assured stance, while the long wheelbase, short overhangs and sleek cabin area further add to the dynamic feel of the exterior. At the front of the car, a short overhang with large air intakes presents a sharp and aggressive interpretation of Honda's family face. LED headlights and daytime running lights flow from beneath the boldly sculpted hood into the muscular front wheel arches.

The sleek and swept-back body lines continue along the side of the car with a crease that incorporates front and rear door handles before culminating in the distinctive C-shaped LED rear lights. A second, lower character line extends from behind the front wheels up through the doors and meets the rear wheel arches, emphasizing the car's dynamic forward-leaning stance. At the rear, the bumper incorporates angular creases and vents, designed to echo the aggressively styled nature of the rest of the car.

The 2017 Civic Hatchback will be produced exclusively at the Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM) plant in Swindon.

2017 Honda Civic Hatchback Debut – New York Press Briefing Remarks

Jeff Conrad, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Honda Division

Mar 22, 2016

Jeff Conrad:

Good afternoon and thanks to everyone joining us here today, in person or via livestream.

It was roughly a year ago that we set off on our epic 10th-generation Civic launch, right here in New York with the debut of the seriously sporty and seriously green Civic Coupe Concept.

We promised that this would be the sportiest, most sophisticated and most ambitious Civic lineup in our best-selling model's 44-year history.

And since then, we've revealed more of our Civic story, how our designers and engineers set their sights not on our mainstream competitors but on compact-class sports sedans from Europe.

Their goal, to create one truly world-class platform for all 10th-generation Civic models.

This new Civic platform is simply a cut above offering a new level of sporty and refined ride and handling a more spacious and premium-quality cabin class-leading safety and advanced new powertrains.

This includes our first-ever turbocharged engine for our U.S.-model Civic.

We launched our first epic new Civic, the 2016 Civic Sedan, last fall.

And we were honored to have Civic named the 2016 North American Car of the Year just two months ago.

More importantly, our customers have truly embraced this new Civic … with sales up an amazing 43 percent this year.

And just last week, we upped the ante on Civic sportiness and style with the launch of the all-new 2016 Civic Coupe.

Today, we're ready to share the next chapter in our Civic story.

For years, many Honda and Civic enthusiasts have looked longingly across the Atlantic to Civic models like a hatchback, and Type R that until now have been forbidden fruit.

That begins to change right now.

Because, today, we have another first for Civic in North America a 5-door hatch model.

Here, straight from its global reveal at the Geneva auto show and in its first appearance on American soil, welcome the all-new 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback Prototype!!

This new Civic Hatch continues the steady progression of new Civic models that are advancing the stylish and fun-to-drive performance of Civic.

This new Civic Hatchback takes all the goodness of the new, tenth-generation Civic platform and wraps it in emotional, Euro-inspired styling together with the added cargo and people-hauling flexibility of its five-door design.

The Civic Hatch will feature a sporty and fuel-efficient engine our 1.5-liter, 174-horsepower Turbo powerplant mated to either a sporty CVT or a 6-speed manual transmission.

And experts have been quick to note how this amazing new powertrain is delivering fun-to-drive performance and fuel economy like nothing in its class with an EPA highway rating of 42 mpg and a zero-to-60 time that matches the previous-gen Civic Si!

Inside, the new Hatchback will benefit from all the stunning upgrades we've made to the Civic cabin in terms of high-quality materials, added legroom, and leading edge technologies.

This includes our Display Audio touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility.

I have one more piece of news that all Civic enthusiasts will be thrilled to hear and that's our announcement today that ALL of our turbocharged Civic models … Coupe, Sedan and Hatch will be available with a slick-shifting 6-speed manual starting this fall!

We said this would be our sportiest Civic ever and we meant it!

Next year, we'll be rounding out the lineup with the launch of high-performance Si variants and some more goodness from across the pond a radical new Civic Type-R based on this hatch body style.

So, our Civic story is far from complete. And we will be sharing all of the details on this new Civic Hatch as we get closer to its fall launch.

Thank you.