2022 Honda Civic Previewed by Prototype

We told you last week that the eleventh-generation of the Honda Civic would be shown on streaming service Twitch, and lo and it behold, it was on Tuesday night.

At least in prototype form.

The full Monty will be shown to us in the late spring of next year – seems like we’re waiting until the spring of next year for a lot of things, but I digress – with the sedan being first, followed by the hatch, Si, and Type R.

Since this is a prototype, the press materials are light on specs, but photos do show an automatic transmission in one shot. That’s about all we have at this point.

The latest marketing-massaged phrase for design philosophy is “man-maximum, machine-minimum”, which Honda says means that the car’s design and tech are meant to serve the driver.

Whatever, man. To our eye, the look is toned-down compared to the current-gen car, but still sporty. Honda pulled back on some of the boy-racer stuff without going down the road to Blandsville.

The prototype maintains some of the previous-gen car – it remains low in terms of height, hip point, and beltline. The roof pillars do move aft, and the sideview mirrors are now door-mounted in an attempt to increase visibility.

The hood is now longer, and the grille sits below the headlights. Body-side creases are meant to give the car a bit more flair. Insert Office Space joke of your choice here.

Honda gave this Civic a wider track and new taillights, plus a trailing edge on the trunk lid.

Inside, Honda promises a less-cluttered look, and honeycomb accents will hide the air-conditioning vents. A 9-inch infotainment touchscreen and digital gauge cluster are promised.

Other promised features include an upgraded version of the HondaSensing suite of safety and driver-assist aids, new airbag designs, and a stiffer body structure that should increase protection for both occupants and pedestrians while also improving refinement, ride, and handling.

We don’t have specs, but we do have some mildly shocking news – production of the Civic hatchback will shift to the company’s Greenburg, Indiana plant. That plant currently builds Civic sedans, but Honda is mum on future production plans, with the obvious exception of the announcement about hatchback production shifting to the Hoosier state.

Once we know more about specs, we’ll tell ya, but we expect that the Civic will have four-cylinder power and probably only offer a manual in the Si and Type R versions. Speaking of the Type R, previous rumors have suggested it might get some sort of electrification. We shall see.

Until then, feast your eyes on what is more or less the next Civic.

[Images: Honda]