Honda Civic: A difficult future awaits the former hit. It will arrive in Europe only as a hybrid – PRAVDA.sk

Honda has no other chance. It can only meet European emission standards if it continues to massively electrify. After CR-V, Jazz and HR-V, it will also affect the eleventh generation Civic. But it will mean an increase in price. At a time when the Civic is on a sales day, this may mean the end of its European career.

The Honda Civic was one of the most famous Japanese cars in Europe. The owners adored it because of its excellent driving characteristics, and especially the engines, which loved high speeds. Later, a great diesel and futuristic design was added. The crown was used by the Type-R version of the model line. Over time, however, the popularity of the Civic faded. While Honda still found more than 130,000 European customers in the late 1990s, it was already 66,000 in 2010 and only 37,500 in 2019, before the pandemic. And the pandemic year 2020 ended with a sad balance of 17,282 registrations. Last year, it was even just 13,530 cars in the first 10 months.

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It is all the more surprising that the new, eleventh generation Civic, introduced last year in the US in the form of a sedan and hatchback, will only reach Europe as an expensive hybrid with technology similar to the CR-V, HR-V and Jazz hybrid, ie with a petrol-powered traction electric motor. generator. On the one hand, it is logical, because otherwise the Japanese carmaker does not have a chance to meet tough European emission standards, but on the other hand, it will mean an increase in prices. And at times when the current non-hybrid generation is collapsing in sales, this seems like a road to hell. A car that Europeans have not craved in recent years will be even more expensive.

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Honda is expected to offer two performance versions. The weaker will have 96 and the stronger 132 kW. That would roughly match the rival Toyota Corolla. However, another fact may be to blame for the price increase. Civic for Europe will no longer be missing from production lines in Swindon, UK. The production of the outgoing generation was terminated here in the summer, thus closing the 36-year chapter of Civic production in Europe. The new models will come directly from Japan, which is perhaps good news in terms of quality, but not the costs associated with transport. If the Civic is not caught, it could also mean its end in Europe. It wouldn’t be the first time. Legned or Accord models turned out to be similar.

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However, we will still have to wait for more information as well as prices, because the Civic will not arrive in Europe until the autumn. Until then, Honda will be able to introduce a sharp version of the Type-R, which should have an output of up to 400 hp, ie 294 kW! This would make it to the compact Mercedes-AMG models. Honda will show the prototype at the Tokyo Motor Show in mid-January. However, whether we can count on a sharp Civic Type-R on the old continent is questionable, again due to emissions. Although Honda plans to completely electrify its European portfolio by 2025, it has so far the only production electric car that can hardly balance the thirst of the supercharged 4-cylinder 2.0 i-VTEC Turbo.

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