New chatter regarding the 2012 Honda Civic has come up on dedicated Honda forum Temple Of VTEC that's indicating the brand's future econo car will sport three body styles -- 3 box (sedan), 2 box (hatchback) and some configuration never before seen. The speculative info comes courtesy of a loose Japanese to English translation of Mag-x magazine.
According to the publication, the unique 'middle of the road' body style (not really sedan, not exactly a true hatchback) will be sold internationally as well as in Japan. North America will keep its traditional sedan and coupe variants, while Europeans are said to get Fit based hatchback versions of the car as well.Contrary to the general perception, the upcoming Civic Hybrid -- not the Insight -- will be positioned as the primary competitor to the Toyota Prius. It will reportedly be powered by a 1.5L unit mated to an electric motor. The powertrain will likely be shared with the 2011 CR-Z sporty model (left). Our intel indicates a different 1.8L motor, but regardless, the CR-Z is poised to be a sporty hybrid.The new Civic is expected to arrive in CY2011.Speaking of the CR-Z, it's dubbed as the 21st century CR-X and will employ a CVT or six-speed manual transmission along with the hybrid powerplant. Rumor has it, a production prototype will make its way to this year's Tokyo Motor Show ahead of an early 2010 introduction.
Thanks to: Motor Trend