Do Your Civic Duty and Peep Your Eyes on What Might Be Honda's Next Hatch

Renderings of the 11th-generation Honda Civic Hatchback have hit the forums, thanks to Honda patent filings, and the changes are minor but give the car a far milder look.

The biggest difference upfront is a narrower grille combined with a larger lower front fascia, basically a flip-flop of the current car.

Changes are more obvious at the rear – the hatch is smoothed out, especially where it meets the roofline. The C-shaped taillamps are gone, as is the rear spoiler, and there’s now a light bar (yes, “blende”, as some call it) across the hatch. The big black rear fascia is gone, replaced by bumper, and the vertical slab in the middle of the hatch door appears smaller/narrower.

Essentially, the overall shape is the same, just much less aggressive, with all the different “sport” trim bits removed. It’s a more mature look that has just a hint of Accord when viewed from the side.

On the one hand, the current car is quite polarizing, and toning down the look could quell criticisms of its boy-racer looks. On the other hand, the Civic sells quite well even with divisive styling, and Honda has always positioned the car as a sporty commuter. Toning down the styling risks make the car look generic and boring. It kinda does in the renderings.

Check out the renderings here.

[Image: Honda]