After a series of teasers, the 2022 Honda Civic Sedan has finally been revealed in the United States. Already confirmed not for Australian sales, the sedan previews the incoming hatchback that will be revealed soon – and will be the sole Civic bodystyle offered locally. It’s based on the same platform as the outgoing car, though has grown slightly in dimensions. It also features a lot more technology, a stylish new interior and even some Honda-first features, including a 9.0-inch touchscreen. The 2022 Honda Civic will go on sale in Australia in 2022.
“Civic has been the go-to choice for compact car buyers for almost 50 years and the all-new 11th-generation Honda Civic builds on that leadership with simple and sporty styling inside and out, best-in-class features and class-leading performance,” said Dave Gardner, executive vice president of National Operations, American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Stylistically, the clean and handsome 2022 Honda Civic Sedan is a big departure from the current model, which is overdone to some eyes. The new nose follows the new generation of Jazz – which Australia will unfortunately not be receiving – and the A-pillar has been moved back for a more ‘rear drive look’. The rear is, again, toned down on the current model with some new angular LED tailights. Wheels measure up to 18-inches.
The interior of the 2022 Honda Civic Sedan is a much larger departure from the current car than the exterior, however. Gone is the fussy dashboard design that is now much sleeker, higher quality and more tech-filled with a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and a 9.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Riding on the same platform as the previous generation car, the 2022 Honda Civic’s dimensions have not changed much. At 4,674mm long, 1,801mm wide, 1,415mm high and with a 2,736mm long wheelbase, the new model is 33mm longer overall and 36mm longer in wheelbase, but identical in height and width. Its boot measures 419-litres, which is way down on the current model’s 525-litre space, though that could be down to how it’s measured.
The current model’s chassis has been revised with eight per cent greater torsional rigidity and a 13 per cent increase in bending rigidity for greater fun behind the wheel. The NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) levels have also been improved, and the suspension has also been revised.
Drivetrains for the 2022 Honda Civic Sedan are familiar to anybody with knowledge on the current model – in North America, the 134kW/240Nm 1.5-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine is joined by a 118kW/187Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine in entry-level models. Both engines have been carried over, and while Australia is likely to see the 1.5T, we’re unsure of if another engine will be offered – hopefully the ancient 1.8-litre engine in Civic VTi and VTi-S models will be retired.
Both engines in North America use CVT automatic transmissions as standard – the 1.5T uses a stepped ratio box with paddle shifters – and we’d expect the same of the Civic when it eventually arrives in Australia. American buyers will again be offered the Si – with potentially around 160kW – that we hope makes it down under. The Type R hot hatch will also be offered locally, though it’s not known which drivetrain will feature. Given Honda Australia’s commitment to offering a hybrid drivetrain with each new generation of car, a Civic hybrid is all but confirmed as well.
Honda has expanded its ‘HondaSensing’ suite of active safety features to include auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality and traffic jam assist, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, auto high beam and auto reverse braking. The airbag count has increased to 10 (including two rear side airbags for the first time in the Civic’s history) – we hope that all of these features make it to Australia.
Other equipment available on the 2022 Honda Civic Sedan includes a 12-speaker Bose sound system, wireless phone charging, dual-zone climate control, heated seats, keyless entry and push button start, electrically adjustable front seats and leather upholstery.
The 2022 Honda Civic Sedan will not be coming to Australia – but the hatchback variant will be launched in 2022. Stay tuned to DiscoverAuto for the latest Honda news.
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