Like the sedan, though, this redesign wasn't focused on performance but rather comfort and versatility. Honda heralds the driver assist features, as well as the 9" color touchscreen and 10.2" digital instrument cluster. Throughout the range, Honda promises "human centered design" and great interior space utilization, making for a more comfortable driving experience. The biggest change with this generation is how much Honda plans to push the hatchback, especially in America. "We expect the all-new 11th-generation model to be even more popular than its predecessor,” said Dave Gardner, executive vice president of National Operations, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “With its sporty, fun-to-drive driving character, Euro exterior styling and flexible interior packaging, the new Civic Hatchback will appeal to those all-important young and active buyers.”
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For now, it'll be up to custom builders to put the engine in a sports car. The outgoing Godzilla engine, minus the two turbochargers, has been put in a heavily-modified Shelby Cobra to make the Superformance MKIII-R.
The car seen above in the press image and video is the Civic Touring, which should be the most expensive model in the lineup. Some elements, like the chrome window surround, may not be present on lower-tier models, but Honda's hasn't said anything about that. More information will be released in the Civic Tour on April 28th, with performances leading up to the official reveal of the new Civic Sedan. The Civic Hatchback will follow the sedan by several months, although Honda will be pushing the hatchback more in the US market than with previous Civic generations, including manufacturing the car by Honda US as well as in India.
The new car is also largely based on the Australian V8 Supercars, something team owner Roger Penske knows well. He thinks the racing would work well with NASCAR, although of course he'd like to see the race made into an IndyCar doubleheader. The racing will be tested with the NASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational series, a nationally-broadcasted event featuring the premier drivers in the sport. The Coca-Cola iRacing Series of professional esports drivers will also race on the circuit. It should also be available on the service in the future for any members to try their hand on. According to iRacing, scanning the track meant driving through at 12:30 in the morning to keep the project a secret and not disturb traffic. So the scan is a lot less detailed than a standard track for the service, meaning more of the background imagery is added in later than usual. The course involves some of the most famous and scenic streets of Chicago, with Lake Shore Drive, Columbus Avenue, and Michigan Avenue all featured, and Buckingham Fountain beautifully framing the start/finish line. Either way, NASCAR's future in Chicago is somewhat up in the air right now. The series owns Chicagoland Speedway but it isn't racing there this year. NASCAR Vice President Ben Kennedy admitted "Chicago is a critically important market to us," so they'll need a track to get all those fans. If it can't be Chicagoland Speedway, is this road course the answer? No one's said that it'll appear on the 2022 schedule, or maybe later, but no one's said it won't either. That remains to be seen. Until then, I'll just have to settle for taking a few hot laps in the sim.
This is the first big example of the reason for the merger into Stellantis, which was synergies between the two automakers in global markets. Adding on with that synergy, the platform will be used on a small Alfa Romeo crossover and a Fiat. Assembly in Tyche, Poland, could begin in 2022 an potentially produce as many as 400,000 vehicles per year. An official reveal could be anticipated for later this year.
Stopping the car are 14.0-inch front brakes and 12.7-inch rear brakes, up one inch from the outgoing IS 350 performance sedan. The included Lexus Safety System+ 2.5 adds on pedestrian detection, emergency steering assist, automatic high beams, and more. The car gets a more aggressive look with a bulge on the hood. The fenders are also wider to fit 19-inch Enkei 10-spoke wheels. Inside gets more luxurious and sporty as well, with F Sport badges throughout. A heated steering wheel is standard equipment in addition to separate pedals for the car. Pricing and final details will be announced closer to its launch this fall.
The car is reinforced as well to ensure it all holds up to its impressive BR6 bulletproof rating at the highest spec. The windows and sunroof are heavily reinforced and the tires are run-flat. The suspension is also modified to handle the load. If you want more protection, you can add air filtration, night vision, and smokescreens from the options list. Plus, knowing its buyer, Inkas will also offer a siren and emergency lights for any police force interested in a luxury bulletproof SUV. Even space isn't sacrificed, and the car can hold seven comfortably with three rows. Cost isn't revealed for the car, although the typical buyer probably isn't most concerned about that. The X7 in that specification probably costs over a hundred thousand dollars before Inkas gets their hands on it, so it certainly costs more than that following the armored touches.
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