Honda Cars India Ltd. is planning to launch the tenth generation Civic in India in early 2018 according to latest reports. The D1 Segment sedan will be manufactured at HCIL’s Greater Noida facility and will priced in the Rs. 15 to 20 lakh bracket. Here’s more on the upcoming new Honda Civic 2017 India launch, price, specifications and other details.
The eighth generation Civic was introduced in India in July 2006. The sedan became an instant hit receiving over 4000 bookings within a month of its launch. In 2008, Honda launched the limited edition Civic Hybrid in India followed by the Civic facelift in June 2010. In August 2012, reports emerged suggesting Honda had made the decision to pull the plug on the sedan owing to dwindling sales mainly due to the lack of a diesel engine and SUVs and crossovers taking over its segment.
Having reached a sales peak of 2,546 in March 2007, sales fell to just 138 units in July 2012. Honda soon gave confirmation of the Civic’s demise with the last few units being sold off by February 2013. In all, Honda sold around 50,000 units of the Civic in India over its six and a half year stint in India. The tenth and current generation Civic slated for launch in India broke cover in September 2015.
| Model Name | Launch Date |
| 2017 Honda Civic | Auto Expo 2018 |
The upcoming Honda Civic could make its debut at the 2018 Auto Expo in February. Reports of the tenth generation Civic’s India launch have been doing the rounds ever since the car's unveiling in September 2015. However, it wasn’t until May 2016 that details of Honda seriously intending to launch the sedan in 2018 surfaced.
| Variant | Ex Showroom Price (Estimated) |
| Base Model | Rs. 15.00 lakh |
| Top Model | Rs. 20.00 lakh |
Honda will want to avoid a starting price lower than 15 lakh Rupees for the Civic as that may cannibalize sales of the City. Besides, the company has always priced its products slightly more than rivals to maintain its premium image.
Competition Check
Rivals of the Honda Civic will include –
| 2017 Honda Civic Petrol Specifications (expected) | |
| Engine | 1.8 L iVTEC Petrol |
| Power | 141 PS |
| Torque | 174 Nm |
| Transmission | 6 speed Manual/CVT |
| Estimated Mileage | 12-14 KMPL |
Internationally, Honda offers the Civic with a slew of engine options ranging from a 1.0 L I3 Turbo Petrol to a 2.0 L NA I4 Petrol. HCIL, having seen the Civic lose customers due to the lack of a diesel engine option, will not make this mistake again. The engine in question will be the 1.6 L iDTEC unit, which will be manufactured at its facility in Tapukara. Production of the engine began in July for exports and the first beneficiary of the locally produced diesel engine will be ASEAN spec 2018 CR-V.
The petrol engine will be the latest iteration of the R18 family displacing 1,799 cc. The 2017 Honda Civic uses an all new modular platform that makes it 30 kg lighter and improves torsional rigidity by 25%. The usage of high strength steel is up to 12%, a 1% increase over the previous model.
| 2017 Honda Civic Diesel Specifications (expected) | |
| Engine | 1.6 L iDTEC Diesel |
| Power | 121 PS |
| Torque | 300 Nm |
| Transmission | 6 speed Manual |
| Estimated Mileage | 18-19 KMPL |
| Variant | Estimated Overall Fuel Efficiency |
| Petrol | 12-14 KMPL |
| Diesel | 18-19 KMPL |
The fuel efficiency figures seen here are based on estimates. Actual figures will only be made public at the time of launch.
Honda says the tenth generation model is the “most ambitious remake” of Civic. Designers have given the car a fastback style tail along with low and wide proportions overall. “The low and wide proportions, with the wheels pushed to the utmost corners, emphasize the Civic’s dynamic handling prowess and give the car a crouched and muscular look, like a tiger ready to pounce,” says Jarad Hall, Senior Exterior Designer and project leader of the Civic Sedan, Honda R&D Americas.
It features a new “Flying H” grille design flanked by optional LED headlamps that feature hockey stick shaped LED daytime running lamps, which are all signature Honda design elements. Its side profile features a swage line which bisects front and rear door handles ultimately culminating in the C shape LED rear lights. The upcoming new model Honda Civic is 30 mm wider, 136 mm longer and sits 20 mm lower than the car it replaces.
Unlike the previous two generations that featured a split instrument console, the new Civic gets a more conventional setup. It gets a 7 inch TFT LCD Driver Information Interface (DII) display that includes a digital tachometer and digital speedometer. It also houses a high res MID that can display info like navigation, SMS, email, music info, etc. The centre console houses a 7 inch Honda Connect 2 touchscreen. For India, expect Honda to offer the Civic with their DIGIPAD infotainment unit that is found on the City and WRV. The total volume of the cabin is up by 105 L with additional 50 mm legroom as compared to the ninth generation Civic.
The development team conducted extensive testing and benchmarked the car against European luxury vehicles to ensure high levels of ride comfort, interior quality and NVH levels. No doubt HCIL engineers will take into consideration Indian conditions and retune the suspension setup to alter ride and handling characteristics.
Exterior
Interior
Safety
| Length x Width x Height | 4,630 x 1,799 x 1,416 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,700 mm |
| Kerb Weight | 1,251 kg (approx) |
| Wheel Type and Size | 16- or 17-inch alloys |
| Boot Space | 519 L |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 47 litres |
Honda will manufacture the new 1.6 L Diesel engine for export markets at Tapukara, Rajasthan. This engine will power the ASEAN spec fifth generation Honda CR-V and will also be utilized for the tenth generation Civic in India.
