New Honda Civic spied

[ahmed_7erzon]

Take a look at the new 2012 Honda Civic, spotted in a very unusual location. Normally, prototypes for new models are spied at test tracks in Europe, but eagle-eyed reader Gareth Parsons grabbed this picture in the middle of Piccadilly Circus!

The fact that the Civic has been caught in the UK means engineers are making sure that its suspension set-up is optimised for UK roads. Despite the Civic being built in Swindon, most development work usually takes place at the firm's R&D centre in Germany, so it's obvious Honda is keen for the Civic to be on a par with the new Ford Focus and latest VW Golf when it comes to handling and ride comfort.

As for the way it looks, this new five-door hatchback prototype may be covered in disguise, but this picture does show that the latest car features a similar silhouette to the current Civic. Under the skin, expect it to receive a round of mild updates, including sharper lights front and rear and a bolder grille in the nose, as well as revised bodywork. Expect Honda to tweak the rear of the car by removing the rear spoiler which obscures rear visibility, and adding a rear window wiper.

The front-wheel drive platform will be carried over from the current car with an updated range of small petrol VTEC engines and a diesel. Expect stop-start to be standard across the line-up. Although US specification Civics get a multi-link rear suspension set-up, European models are likely to continue with a torsion beam arrangement as it is more compact and allows for more rear seat space and luggage room.