This is the current Civic. Its replacement will be designed in the U.S.
Honda’s American research and development division will quarterback
engineering and other work for the next-generation Civic, says the company’s
U.S.-based head of R&D. Erik Berman, the president of Honda R&D Americas
told an industry conference audience this week that the company’s North American
division had grown enough to handle the next Civic in addition to the Acura NSX
and other luxury products. Automotive News covered the conference and first
broke the story.
The relatively weak value of the U.S. dollar makes it more cost effective for
automakers to center both vehicle development and construction in North America.
Engineers and planners based here tend to understand better the demands of the
American market, too.
Six months and ten thousand miles have passed since the Honda Civic Si has
arrived and I have really adopted it as my own. The seat is always adjusted
correctly and my phones Bluetooth auto-connects when I turn on the stereo. So
what kind of impression has the Civic left on me? Well, Honda Civic ownership is
very uneventful. Everyone I have talked to agrees that the Civic is an overall
good looking car, but you don't exactly catch little kids staring at it in awe
on the freeway. There little that anyone would find offensive but there is also
little to find interesting. Driving, especially high in the rev-range can be
enjoyable, but power isn't its strong suit and I always expect it to pull a
little harder than it does, especially considering the noise it makes.
It also
has an annoying habit of holding revs for the second or so after the clutch is
depressed. Due to its irregularity, I can't decide if this is by design or if
its a defect. Then there is the mysterious knock in the rear suspension that
comes and goes and has yet to be heard or diagnosed by any of the friendly folks
at my local Honda dealer. This sensation is not exclusive to the uber-rich
either, either. One of the most fun cars I have ever driven is my mom's 2003
Dodge Neon SRT-4, which competed with a Civic Si in its day. When producing a
sports version of a base economy car, it really needs to feel different and
exciting, like the SRT-4. To use a more modern example, take the Subaru Impreza
WRX STI. It has spoilers, scoops, a brawny looking wide-body kit, and a
tightly-wound turbocharged 2.5-liter engine. Every part of the car feels meaner,
sharper, and more hardcore than the base Impreza. Its that feeling that I wih
the Civic had more of, that extra character and passion.
