Honda Civic Facelift Unveiled, India Launch In 2019

Update: The Honda Civic has been launched, priced from Rs 17.70 lakh to Rs 22.30 lakh, ex-showroom pan-India.

After showcasing the pre-facelift version of the Civic at this year’s Auto Expo, Honda has now unveiled the refreshed version of both the sedan and the coupe in the US. The updates to the facelift are on the conservative side. It now gets a more angular front end, while the chrome bar on the grille has been replaced by one finished in piano black. The front end also gets a new full-width front splitter along with chrome fog lamp surrounds. The design of the alloy wheels is also new. Although the Civic facelift that was showcased wore 18-inch wheels, the India-spec model will most likely get 17-inch units. Apart from that, it also gets a spoiler at the rear.

Inside, the Civic facelift gets a 7-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility along with other minor updates. The biggest change is what the carmaker calls ‘Honda Sensing’, a radar-based driver assistance systems which will now be a part of the standard package. ‘Honda Sensing’ includes a collision mitigation braking system, lane departure assist and more. However, expect Honda to skip this feature for the India-spec sedan as it has already confirmed that it will not be offered with the CR-V either, which is slated for an October launch. Just like the CR-V, it could offer ‘Lane Watch’, which employs a camera placed under the left ORVM that helps eliminate blind spots.

Honda has added a 'Sport' trim with the facelift as well. But the chances of it being offered in India are scant.

As for the powertrain, Honda has debuted a ‘high revving’ 16-valve, 2.0-litre engine for the Sport trim. In India, however, the Civic will most likely share its powertrain with the CR-V. It will likely be paired with a 2.0-litre petrol engine making 154PS of power and 189Nm of torque and a 1.6-litre diesel making 120PS and 300Nm. The petrol is likely to be offered with a 6-speed manual and a CVT, while the diesel could get the same 9-speed automatic ‘box as the CR-V.

Honda is set to launch the refreshed Civic in India before the end of FY 2018-’19. It is expected to Priced between Rs 16.8 lakh and Rs 20.9 lakh and will go up against the likes of the Skoda Octavia, Toyota Corolla Altis and the Hyundai Elantra