Honda originally unveiled the eleventh-generation Civic in prototype form back in November 2020 and now it's taking the wraps off the production model. This sole image will have to suffice until April 28 when a full gallery will be published along with technical specifications of the overhauled compact sedan.
Seen here is the flagship Touring trim looking nearly the same as the Civic Prototype before it. We do notice the addition of fog lights and the removal of glossy black accents. Instead, the production-ready model has a matte black trim on both upper and lower grilles as well as for the air intake trim. The prototype's dark side mirrors are gone, replaced by body-colored caps.
Being the most expensive version of the bunch, the 2022 Civic Touring has a sunroof and front parking sensors, which have an interesting placement as the two inner sensors are actually mounted in the upper grille. The prototype lacked parking sensors to enable a cleaner appearance, although they're nicely integrated into the road-going model as we can barely see them.
The prototype's all-black wheels have made way for a two-tone set while the black trim in the side skirts now comes in the same color as the body. The Touring model gets chrome window surround replacing the Civic Prototype's glossy black finish, and that's about all we can see from this angle. Honda is not showing the completely redesigned interior, so the design sketch published when the prototype debuted will have to make do until the big debut in two weeks' time. You can see it from the 5:55 mark in the video below.
Following its world premiere at the end of the month, the 2022 Civic will arrive at dealerships across North America this summer. Production will take place at the plant in Indiana where the hatchback will be added to the assembly lines several months later. It's the first time the five-door model is built there as a consequence of Honda's decision to shut down the Swindon plant in the UK. The factory has already been sold to logistics company Panattoni and will be handed over next spring.
While the performance-oriented Si and Type R flavors will return, the lineup will be slightly simplified by deleting the coupe. Both the Civic Si sedan and Type R hatchback have already been confirmed with a standard manual gearbox, so enthusiasts still have a lot to look forward to, though the spicy versions will likely arrive at a later date.
