Ahead of its official debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, Honda’s 2015 Euro-spec Civic has hit the digital newsroom, and the refreshed compact shows some minor styling changes. Up front, the standard car has grown a gilled front bumper with rethought headlight housings, as well as a bolder, honeycombed center cutout.
The Civic hatch adopts similar changes, but wears a completely new rear bumper, angular side skirts, LED taillights and a glossy black spoiler out back. It’s hard to imagine these minor changes improving the ninth generation’s impressive drag coefficient of 0.27, one that Honda claims to be near the top of its class, but the knife-shaped headlights and mesh grill are big improvements.
The biggest news for the 2015 Civic, however, is the debuting Sport derivative. Said to be inspired by the wicked Type R, the sporty hatchback equips a more heavily contoured bumper, trim-specific 17-inch alloys, and a color-coded rear fin.
Unfortunately, it won’t feature anything close to the Type R’s turbocharged 280-horsepower output, as engine options remain a 1.6-liter diesel with 118 hp or a 1.8-liter gas with 139 hp.
Related: Honda officially reveals 2015 U.S.-spec Civic, offers special edition sedan
Inside, there are a few tweaks to the cabin materials, including the seat fabrics, headrest stitching, and door trims. Trunk space holds steady at a segment-leading 477 liters for the Civic and 624 liters for the Civic Tourer, and yes, sci-fi fans, the spaceship-inspired digital speedos remain.
The European Civic also serves as the debut for the brand’s all-new Honda Connect infotainment system, features a seven-inch touch screen, Internet radio and web browsing, Bluetooth connectivity, optional satellite navigation, and a rear-facing camera.
Safety improvements include Honda’s City-Brake Active technology, which uses radar to predict low speed collisions (30 km/h and under) and applies the brakes as necessary.
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