Carscoops
Honda
will launch the 10th generation Civic later this year, according to the
executive vice president of the company’s US division, John Mendel.
In
order to prepare for the launch of the all-new model and to respond to consumer
preferences, Honda will discontinue the current Civic Hybrid and Civic Natural
Gas at the end of the 2015 model year, the executive added.
“These
moves will allow greater focus on Civic’s sporty new driving character,” Mendel
was quoted as saying by Autoblog. Previewed this spring by the Civic Concept at
the New York Auto Show, the upcoming Civic will feature Si and Type R variants.
According to Mendel, the Type R will arrive in 2017.
The
new Civic will get a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine, a short-throw
six-speed manual and a CVT. “We’re creating the strongest and most balanced
vehicle lineup in our history,” the executive said, adding that some Civic
versions will still return more than 40 mpg (5.9 l/100 km) in highway driving.
Besides
the changes to the Civic line, Honda has discontinued the Accord plug-in hybrid
to focus on the updated Accord Hybrid, which is scheduled to launch in early
2016. However, a new plug-in Accord will arrive in 2018.
When
asked about a “baby NSX” sports car in the wake of patent images that leaked
last week, Mendel gave an interesting answer. “No I can’t tell you anything
about the baby NSX. I mean I could, but I’d probably be fired.”
