2022 Honda Civic concept previews next-generation sedan

Since its introduction 50 years ago in Japan, Honda Civic grew into a familiar name for folks looking for a no-nonsense sedan. With the crossover wave raging around the world, the sheen of the Civic has lost its brilliance, but that did not stop Honda from churning out a new generation of the popular sedan. They unveiled the 2022 Honda Civic prototype, previewing what the next-generation Honda Civic is going to look like.

The 2022 Honda Civic will mark the arrival of the 11th generation of this popular sedan. The prototype dumbs down the edginess of the current model in favour of a more contemporary appeal. The sharper headlights, DRLs, and tail lights add up to a perception of being a wider car, despite being almost identical in size to the outgoing model. The new model gives up the flamboyant tail lamps of the current gen and instead gets generic split taillights, but with a smoked finish on the concept.

The body shape carries on the liftback style of the current model, but with some body lines that look a lot like those of the new Cadillac CT5, of all things.

The 2022 Honda Civic will live on in two body styles, sedan and hatchback, potentially cancelling the coupe that largely existed only in North America. The hot models, Civic Si sedan and Type-R hatchback will live to see another generation, and that too with available manual transmissions.

Inside the 2022 Honda Civic, the changes are drastic. The company has followed a minimalistic theme, leaving behind many of the buttons. The designers claim to have taken inspiration from the electric Honda E hatchback, although it looks more like the school of Mazda. The most notable element in the design is the long trim that runs from next to the steering wheel all the way to the other side, concealing the HVAC vents along the way. A 9.0-inch touchscreen now sits on the dashboard rather than being integrated into it. There is a new completely digital instrument cluster, a first for Honda.

The 2022 Honda Civic is also expected to add a multitude of new active safety systems to the Honda Sensing suite, at least for the US-spec model. More details on the new safety systems are yet to be revealed.

As this is just a prototype, the 2022 Honda Civic will likely show up in showrooms after the summer of 2021.