Honda will sell new Civic in Europe as hybrid-only model

Honda will complete the electrification of its European lineup with the new-generation Civic hatchback.

The Civic will be offered in Europe only as a hybrid, Honda said in a statement on Thursday.

The compact car will use the automaker's e:HEV (hybrid electric vehicle) powertrain that mates a 1.5-liter gasoline engine to an electric motor.

The Civic hybrid will be sold alongside the Jazz hybrid small car and the CR-V hybrid compact SUV. A new hybrid HR-V small SUV is due to go on sale in Europe later this year. Honda also sells the E full-electric minicar in Europe.

The Civic will go on sale in Europe in the autumn next year. Its launch will complete the company's objective for all its European mainstream models to feature electrified powertrains by the end of 2022, Honda said.

Honda will no longer build European versions of the car in Swindon, England. The factory is being shuttered in July as the automaker shrinks its global manufacturing network. Honda has not said where the European models will be built.

Honda has confirmed that the hatchback will form the base of a new-generation Type R performance version that will arrive in 2022, but the car has not been confirmed for Europe.

The 11th-generation Civic was revealed during an online presentation (see video below) on Thursday in advance of sales in some markets later this year, including Japan and the U.S.

The Civic hatchback will be built in the U.S. for the first time, at Honda's plant Greensburg, Indiana. The hatchback variant was previously exported to the U.S. from the Swindon factory.

Honda sold 17,008 Civics in Europe last year, down 54 percent from the year before according to figures from market researchers JATO Dynamics. The car was Honda's third-biggest seller after the Jazz and CR-V.

Honda said it has focused on improving the driving dynamics of the new car, made possible in part by a stiffer body. The company claims a 19 percent improvement in torsional rigidity versus the previous model.

Inside, the Civic will have a 7-inch or  9-inch touchscreen depending on specification, while a new digital display in front of the driver is available in widths of 7 inches or 10.2 inches.

The car's honeycomb grille pattern is repeated on the dashboard, where it's used to hide the vents. Honda has retained physical dials for the heating and ventilation controls.

The Civic's launch date in Europe after July next year means it will come with a suite of active safety equipment mandated by the European Union, including intelligent speed assist that warns if the driver is exceeding the speed limit.

Further functions available include traffic jam assist to automatically slow and accelerate the car in slow moving traffic. Honda has also equipped the car with adaptive headlights.