Accepted industry standards dictate that a vehicle model must, or rather is recommended to be replaced by an all-new version every 5 or 6 years; longer if its a big machine. Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI), on other hand, thinks otherwise.
That’s because only 4 years after they locally introduced the 9th generation Civic (the one we have now), they’re now getting ready for its replacement.
A teaser video was posted on the official Honda Cars Philippines page on Facebook with the caption “SOMETHING YOU’VE WAITED GENERATIONS FOR.” That’s 10 generations to be exact, previewing the indistinguishable tail-lights of the all-new 2016 Civic. Although no other information was disclosed, what we do know is that we’re getting something similar to what they have in America.
Bigger, sportier, and smarter, the all-new model is a huge improvement over what it will soon replace. It’s 7.4 cm longer with a wheelbase stretched by a full 3.0 cm, providing more wiggle room inside. But the real selling point here is the fact that they’ve made it look this good, flaunting its long hood, wide wheel arches, and fastback silhouette.
If the USDM version is any indication, the local spec all-new Civic should also have a 7-inch LCD infotainment touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, if we’re lucky. Honda’s “Sensing” safety and driver assist technology, however, is a long shot if we want to keep prices reasonable.
Now here’s the odd bit. The 2.0L DOHC i-VTEC is offered as the entry-level model on the other side of the globe. That’s because they have a more sprightly 1.5L DOHC direct-injected turbo version that pumps out 174 hp and 220 Nm of torque. Hopefully, we’ll get both.
We can only guess what will eventually arrive on our shores, which we expect to happen in the next few months.
