I know we all love to learn what goes into building wild machines like hypercars or race cars, but there’s something really nice about learning how an automaker has designed your daily driver to maximize comfort and efficiency. And that’s what a new video with head of product planning American Honda Motor Co., Gary Robinson, does with the 2022 Honda Civic prototype.
The new Civic prototype debuted last week on the automaker’s Twitch channel for some reason, hoping to appeal to a younger audience (although I can’t say many folks in the 25-or-under market are really leaping to buy a brand new car at this exact moment).
The video below is nice, though. It gives you a little more intimate look at the Civic and what went into its design.
Robinson says Honda went over the last decade of the Civic’s evolution in order to see what styling cues the team wanted to preserve while also improving on ones that could use a little work. The 2022 version is a little more svelte than some of its predecessors, with subtle but mature lines that still get you feeling a little peppy.
One of the biggest changes here comes with the A-pillar, which has been moved down and back to create a longer hood. It offers a nice blend of fun and sincerity—you know this is a car for young professionals, but at the same time, a longer hood makes you think of sports cars. The doors, too, have benefitted from a more low-slung look. It makes things look longer without actually making it longer.
Honda also intended to make the car feel “thin and light” without compromising on craftsmanship, which is right up my alley. I love an agile car, something that feels like it’s now going to weigh me down but that also has a sense of sturdiness to it. That “thin and light” combo comes down to both the lower profile look of the car as well as the experience of the driver inside.
We don’t have any images of the interior yet, but Robinson emphasizes that the team wanted to open up the inside, to offer a little more room and make things feel a little more spacious.
It’s a great way to take a peek inside the newest model of one of America’s more popular cars.