Civic Tourer has stacks of interior space

CLEARLY the mounting excitement about its imminent Tourer model has become too much for Honda!

Its new Civic Tourer, which will be built at Swindon, has its official unveiling at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show but the Japanese car giant clearly couldn’t wait and has taken the wraps off the new model.

Honda is making many claims for the sleek looking estate — stacks of interior space offering superb versatility and practicality. Part of this versatility comes from its innovative Magic Seat system and part from its class leading boot space — 624 litres with the rear seats in place. Fold them down and a whopping 1,668 litres is available… if you pack it to the roof!

The Civic Tourer will be available with two engines; the new 1.6 i-DTEC engine from the Earth Dreams Technology series and the 1.8 i-VTEC engine in manual or automatic transmission. The introduction of a brand new Adaptive Damper System (ADS) will help to enhance stability and comfort under varying load and driving conditions.

Developed and designed in Europe, allowing Honda’s European R&D team to lead the creative and technical design process, the new Civic Tourer will be launched in Europe in early 2014. It will be built at Honda’s UK manufacturing facility in Swindon alongside the hatchback variant and the CR-V and Jazz.

The exterior design of the Civic Tourer is sleek and sporty, its distinctive style is defined by a bold line that runs continuously from the front A-pillar to the D-pillar creating the impression of a floating roof line.

The glass of the rear quarter window has been extended to cover the body work of the D-pillar and the rear door sash has been raised by 17mm compared to the Civic hatchback to create this bold styling line.

Behind this sleek and sporty design is a hidden versatility that offers clever functionality and unrivalled practicality.

The Civic Tourer benefits from the same unique centre fuel tank layout used in the Civic hatchback. The fuel tank is located under the front seats allowing the Civic Tourer to offer unparalleled interior space and Honda’s clever Magic Seats.

The cargo area will accommodate two full-size mountain bikes or three large-sized Samsonite cases with the tonneau cover pulled over. There is also a very handy hidden compartment perfect for storing the tonneau cover when it is not needed.

Furthermore, there is additional under floor storage in the boot which makes carrying tall objects in the boot easy, plus the height of the loading lip has been reduced to facilitate effortless loading.

Honda’s unique Magic Seats deliver further practicality and spac, enabling a range of seating configurations for maximum versatility.The rear seats fold down in one easy movement, and the interior trunk has been raised compared to the hatchback to create a completely flat area when the seats are folded down.

The rear seat cushions can also be flipped up to reveal ample floor space for carrying tall objects. A 60:40 split in the seat base offers even more options for carrying both people and cargo and provides an alternative load area if access via the tailgate is limited.

The 1.6 i-DTEC Earth Dreams Technology diesel engine was first applied to the Civic hatchback and subsequently to the new CR-V. The engine is the first of Honda’s Earth Dreams Technology series to be introduced in Europe. It was designed specifically for the European market and is built at Honda’s UK manufacturing plant.

The Civic Tourer also features an innovative Adaptive Damper System. This is the first time that a rear adaptive damper system has been introduced on a production car and it features three settings – comfort, normal and dynamic — all of which have been developed to enhance stability and comfort under varying load and driving conditions. This allows the Civic Tourer to remain comfortable during motorway cruising, yet firm and agile when high-performance handling is required.
As with all Honda cars, safety was at the forefront of the development team’s mind when designing the Civic Tourer, particularly the integration of advanced active safety systems. The Civic Tourer will deliver a high standard of safety for the driver, passengers, pedestrians and other road users in line with Honda’s philosophy of ‘Safety for Everyone’.

http://www.honda.co.uk/cars/newcivic/