The 2022 Honda Civic will be the Civic’s eleventh generation, and will also mark 50 years of Honda Civic. We got a preview of this in November, with the 2022 Honda Civic prototype, and again last month, but on Wednesday Honda released the real thing. What did we ever do without this car?
Honda didn’t release much else today beyond the photo you see above. No price. No specifications. No information about the powertrain. But what’s notable here is that while American automakers give up on small sedans that aren’t the Chevy Spark, Honda is resolutely sticking with them. There was never much doubt that the Civic would remain, of course, but I’ll admit to getting slightly nervous after Honda bailed on the new Fit here.
The eleventh-generation Civic sedan will be built in Alliston, Ontario, Canada, for the North American market, like the current one is, while Honda says the Civic hatchback will be built in America for the first time, at Honda’s plant in Greensburg, Indiana.
See if you can decipher the following from Honda on what the 2022 Civic will be:
...designers and engineers prioritized Honda’s human-centered design philosophy, which maximizes the total environment for the driver and passengers, while minimizing the space needed for mechanical components. The goal is to increase the driver’s ability to enjoy the car safely. The result is a sporty new look and an all-new simple and sporty interior that advances essential Civic values of uncluttered design, simple ergonomics and exceptional visibility.
My interpretation of these words is that the 2022 Honda Civic will be a “functional car,” which might sound basic except a lot of car companies aspire to do something else.
And, anyway, it’s been a year of shit, and an unpredictable one on top of that, so it’s reassuring to see that the Honda Civic will live on, a reliable old friend who hopefully will be with us for at least 50 more years.