The Honda Civic saloon will return to UK roads after a seven-year hiatus, with sales commencing in August.
Honda’s Swindon plant builds the Civic hatchback and Civic Type R hot hatch for global markets, so UK-bound Civic saloons will come from Honda’s Turkish production facility.
It will offer 1.0-litre petrol and 1.6-litre diesel engines. The former will be available with a six-speed manual or CVT automatic gearbox, while the diesel will offer a choice of the same manual or a nine-speed automatic.
Honda is yet to confirm more specific details or whether the powertrain line-up will be extended later to contain the hybrid engine that’s soon to arrive in the brand’s new CR-V SUV.
The car is already sold in other European markets, so its length of 4644mm, width of 1799mm, height of 1416mm and wheelbase of 2700mm will remain unchanged. Boot volume is stated at 519 litres.
Honda claims high levels of refinement for the Civic saloon, as well as a lower driving position. Leg room for the saloon sold in international markets is 1074mm for front-seat passengers and 950mm in the rear.
It’s an unusual move for the manufacturer to introduce a saloon to market nowadays, given the dominance of SUVs diminishing saloon sales across the world. A Honda spokesman couldn’t confirm what percentage of sales the saloon might make up across the Civic range, but it’s likely to be far outsold by the hatchback.
It will mark the first time Honda has sold a saloon in the UK since the Accord was axed in 2015.
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