Civic secrets revealed

Honda’s radical replacement for the Civic hatchback will be revealed in five-door form at the Frankfurt motor show in September before landing in UK dealerships early next year. But ahead of the launch, Honda has announced a pair of new engines developed to power the all-new Civic.

First up is a new 1.8-litre i-VTEC petrol engine, which Honda claims matches the performance of a 2.0-litre with the fuel economy of a 1.5-litre engine thanks to a sophisticated valve timing control system, variable-length intake manifold and precise drive-by-wire throttle. The 1798cc unit produces 138bhp at 6300rpm and 128lb ft of torque at 4300rpm.

The second new arrival is the replacement for Honda’s current IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) petrol/electric hybrid. The system mates a 1339cc i-VTEC petrol engine with a 158-volt electric motor. Honda claims it has made the system more compact, yet boasts power gains of 20 per cent as well as improved fuel economy compared to the current system. The petrol unit produces 94bhp at 6000rpm and 91lb ft of torque at 4500rpm, assisted by the electric motor which supplies 20bhp at 2000rpm and a useful 76lb ft of twist from 0-1160rpm.

Styling for the new Civic is likely to stick closely to the looks of concept car revealed at Geneva earlier this year, providing a stylish alternative to the plain-looking VW Golf and Ford Focus. A sportier three-door – topped by a replacement for the 197bhp Type-R – and two- and four-door saloons will follow. Further engines are likely to include a 1.4-litre petrol and the excellent 2.2-litre diesel already used in the Accord, FR-V and HR-V.