Author: Steve Allen |
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Delivering a new level of style, sporty driving performance, technological sophistication and value, the all-new 2016 Civic Coupe goes on sale on March 15 with a starting MSRP of $19,0501 for the Civic LX Coupe with manual transmission. Following the highly successful introduction of the 2016 Civic Sedan, named 2016 North American Car of the Year, the Civic Coupe includes many of the same attributes in a more personal and enthusiast oriented two-door body style.

2016 Honda Civic Coupe © Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

2016 Honda Civic Coupe © Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

The 2016 Civic Coupe is available in three powertrain configurations: a 174-horsepower2 1.5-liter DOHC turbo engine with CVT (EX and above), a 158-horsepower3 2.0-liter i-VTEC™ paired with CVT (LX and LX-P) and the same 2.0-liter engine with a six-speed manual transmission (on LX trim). EPA fuel economy ratings for the 2016 Civic Coupe are 31/41/35 mpg4 (city/highway/combined) for 1.5-liter turbo models with CVT, 30/41/34 mpg for 2.0-liter models with CVT and 26/38/31 mpg for the LX with 2.0-liter engine and manual transmission.

2016 Honda Civic Coupe © Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

2016 Honda Civic Coupe © Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

“This new Civic Coupe exemplifies Honda’s focus on fun-to-drive character with two powerful engine options and a chassis tuned specifically for driving fun,” said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president and general manager of the Honda Division. “As the second model in our sportiest and most ambitious Civic lineup ever, the coupe sets the bar for performance, refinement and connectivity in the compact coupe segment.”

Virtually everything about the 2016 Civic Coupe is new – all-new vehicle architecture, sporty and sophisticated new interior and exterior styling, a more spacious and high-quality cabin, two advanced new engines, and a host of new premium features and technologies. Further, with the addition of Honda Sensing™ safety and driver-assistive technologies on the Civic Touring Coupe and the first application of Honda turbo engine technology to EX and above trims, the 2016 Civic Coupe offers buyers a wider range of options than ever before, each a high-value proposition.

For the 2016 Civic Honda will roll out a new consumer website design on March 15. The one page vehicle experience has a responsive design to be fully functional on mobile devices and is focused to inspire, educate, and activate customers. This new design will be introduced initially on Civic but ultimately the pages for all Honda models will be upgraded. Customers can experience the new website design and view, build and price a 2016 Honda Civic Coupe at automobiles.honda.com/civic.

2016 Civic Coupe Pricing and EPA Fuel Economy Ratings

TrimTransmissionMSRPEPA MPG Rating (city/highway/combined)
LX6MT$19,05026/38/31
LXCVT$19,85030/41/34
LX-PCVT$20,85031/41/35
EXCVT$22,30031/41/35
EX-LCVT$23,42531/41/35
TouringCVT$26,12531/41/35

New Technologies

Major new technologies, features and capabilities of the 2016 Civic Coupe, depending on trim, are as follows:

Powertrains

  • Turbocharged 1.5-liter DOHC direct-injected engine
  • 2.0-liter DOHC port-injected i-VTEC engine

Body

  • Ultra-rigid body with 63 percent application of high-strength steel and 12 percent application of ultra-high-strength steel (up from 55 percent and 1 percent, respectively, in the previous model) – the most extensive use of high-tensile steel ever in a Civic
  • 76 pound reduction in unibody weight versus the previous Civic Coupe, despite its larger size and greater stiffness
  • ACE™ body structure with new crash stroke design (Honda and Civic first) for improved collision performance in a sportier, more compact front frame design
  • Ultra-rigid 590-MPa high-strength-steel floor for enhanced collision performance and improved ride quality (Civic first)
  • Most tightly sealed Honda body ever, with a 75 percent improvement in air leak performance over the previous model
    Premium noise isolation materials and design features that combine with the tightly sealed body for cabin quietness that challenges luxury-class compact-segment products

Chassis

  • New multi-link independent rear suspension
  • Hydraulic compliance bushings for premium levels of ride quality and road vibration isolation (Civic first)
  • Larger stabilizer bars with bonded bushings for more refined body control (Civic first)
  • Rigid aluminum rear damper brackets for improved ride quality (Civic first)
  • Agile Handling Assist brake torque vectoring for cornering precision and stability (Civic first)
  • Dual-pinion electric power steering with variable gear ratio for improved steering feel and maneuverability (Civic first)

Exterior

  • Standard aluminum wheels on all trims
  • Available LED exterior lighting
  • Complete underbody covering for fuel efficiency and cabin quietness
  • Flush mounted, acoustic glass windshield
  • Capless refueling

Interior

  • 91.0 (LX) and 88.6 (EX-T and above) cubic-feet of passenger volume (+7.8 cubic feet vs. previous Civic Coupe) – amongst the most spacious cabins in the compact class
  • New ultra-thin A-pillars for enhanced forward visibility
  • Premium, soft touch cabin materials exceeding current class standards
  • Electronic parking brake
  • Standard automatic climate control (LX)
  • Dual zone automatic climate control (EX and above)
  • Available Display Audio touchscreen with Android Auto™5 and Apple CarPlay®6
  • Available premium comfort and convenience features including Remote Engine start, Smart Entry with Push Button Start and rain-sensing wipers

Safety and Driver Assistance

  • Honda Sensing™ safety and driver-assistive technologies (Touring trim)
  • Next-generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure
  • New crash stroke front frame design
  • Ultra-rigid 590-MPa high-strength steel floor for enhanced collision performance
  • Targeted highest-available collision performance safety ratings – a 5 star Overall Vehicle Score in the NHTSA’s NCAP, a TOP SAFETY PICK from the IIHS for the LX through EX-L trims and a
  • TOP SAFETY PICK+ from the IIHS for the Touring trim.

Exterior Design

Advanced engineering and next-generation sporty Civic design themes are combined in the sleek new Civic Coupe exterior styling. The taut, tidy and sporty overall proportions of the new Civic Coupe are complemented and accentuated by its performance inspired design details, including its sleek, swept-back bodylines, its sharp and aggressive face, and its bulging wheel arches. The hood features sharply defined character lines that draw the eye forward and down to the Civic’s aggressive new face, highlighted by a chrome-plated Honda “wing” that runs the full width of the front fascia and is flanked by available new LED headlights in an in-line configuration.

The new Civic’s ultra-thin A-pillars lend the cabin an open, airy feeling with excellent forward visibility, while the aggressively sloped roof line connects seamlessly with gracefully arching C-pillars that carry the curvature of the roof rearward to the outside rear corners of the long deck, where they intersect with distinctive C-shaped “light-pipe” LED taillights forming a continuous line across the rear.

The sharply creased and curving upper-body side line swells over the rear wheel arches and curves aggressively inward to join the upper bend of the distinctive LED taillights, while the upswept lower-body side line is bisected by the bulging rear wheel arches before bending inward to meet up with the rear bumper’s upper surface. The overall effect is one of dynamism and premium quality with an unmistakable and yet thoroughly modern Civic design aesthetic.

Interior Design

The completely new interior of the 2016 Civic Coupe carries through on the exciting, modern and sophisticated styling of the exterior while providing enhanced comfort, leading-edge technology and class-leading quality. The 2016 Civic Coupe takes Civic interior quality to a new level. High quality, soft-to-the-touch materials are applied liberally—to the instrument panel, front door sash and door inserts and the larger, more thickly padded center armrest. Fit, finish and materials quality throughout the cabin have been thoroughly modernized and upgraded in keeping with the more premium and sporty compact coupe character of this all new Civic.

Interior Packaging

Honda’s vehicle packaging expertise, along with the Civic’s longer wheelbase and wider body, results in the most spacious interior in the competitive class. With 91.0 cubic feet of available passenger space (LX) and 88.6 cubic feet (LX-P and above trims), the 2016 Civic Coupe delivers top-of-class comfort by giving its occupants a sense of spaciousness and premium comfort beyond the compact class with ample headroom, legroom, shoulder clearance and side head clearance, including an additional five inches of rear seat legroom compared to the previous model.

A class leading 84.3 degrees of forward visibility is aided by a new, ultra-thin A-pillar design, 18.2 mm (0.72 inch) narrower than the A-pillar in the outgoing 2015 Civic. Even the forward visibility of rear-seat occupants is taken into account, as the new Civic features newly shaped front seatbacks and a smaller head restraint.

More legroom for the driver is made possible by the reduced intrusion of the instrument panel into the driver’s knee space, while rear-seat foot room is improved by a 27 mm (1.1 inches) wider space between the front seat rails. Trunk room has also been significantly increased, by 0.2 cubic-feet to 12.1 cubic-feet (LX), among the largest in the compact class, with a lower lift over height, larger rear opening, and wider and taller cargo area than the outgoing model. An all-new reconfigurable center console, with up to 7.2 liters of storage space, can hold multiple full-size tablets or an oversized water bottle with the console lid closed.

Interior Comfort, Convenience and Connectivity

The new Civic is designed to be the most comfortable, convenient and connected Civic ever. In addition to its more spacious interior, the 2016 Civic Coupe incorporates new, available premium comfort and convenience features including, remote engine start, electronic parking brake, walk away door locking, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats and rain-sensing wipers.

Raising intuitive operation and digital connectivity to the next level, the 2016 Civic Coupe in EX-T and above trims incorporates a new 7-inch Display Audio touchscreen that serves as the nerve center for control of audio, HVAC and other functions. The new Display Audio is integrated with new Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ platforms, providing seamless integration of smartphone features and functions, including app-based navigation, streaming audio, voice-controlled search capabilities, and access to a host of Apple- or Google-approved smartphone apps.

Powertrains

Powering the 2016 Civic Coupe are two all-new engines, first introduced in the Civic Sedan, that were both designed to provide highly refined, responsive and fuel-efficient performance. Civic Coupes in LX and LX-P trim are powered by a 2.0-liter DOHC, 16-valve, port-injected, inline 4-cylinder engine with i-VTEC™ valvetrain producing a peak 158 hp at 6,500 rpm and 138 lb-ft. of torque at 4,200 rpm, making it the most powerful base engine ever offered in Civic. The new 2.0-liter engine is mated to a sporty continuously variable transmission (CVT) with Honda G-Design shift control, or on the LX trim, a quick-shifting 6-speed manual transmission.

Civic Coupes in EX, EX-L and Touring trim are powered by an all-new turbocharged 1.5-liter DOHC, direct-injected 4-cylinder engine with VTC and electronic wastegate, turning out 174 hp at 6,000 rpm and peak torque of 162 lb-ft. from 1,700 to 5,500 rpm. The 1.5-liter turbo engine is mated to a new CVT that leverages the engine’s low-inertia turbo with electronic waste gate and variable cam timing (VTC) to optimize power delivery across the engine’s full operating range.

Both engines feature a wide array of friction-reduction design and engineering features that support both high performance and high fuel efficiency. These two ultra-efficient engines, married to the 2016 Civic’s light, rigid and highly aerodynamic body, help the Civic garner anticipated class-leading EPA-estimated fuel economy ratings of 30/41/34 mpg (city/highway/combined) for the 2.0-liter engine with CVT, 26/38/31mpg1 for the LX with the 2.0-liter engine and manual transmission, and 31/41/35 mpg for the 1.5-liter turbo with CVT.

Body

The 2016 Civic Coupe’s new powertrains and sophisticated chassis design are underpinned by its entirely new body construction, where engineers went deeper in the study of dynamic body rigidity to realize an ultra-rigid platform architecture that serves as the foundation for its more sophisticated chassis design, its class-leading collision performance, and its powerful and fuel-efficient powertrains.

Global bending and torsional rigidity are increased with specifically localized body rigidity tuning in key areas, especially at suspension and subframe mounting points which are dramatically improved.

The new Civic’s sleeker body design combines with aerodynamic features, including nearly full underbody covering, front and rear wheel strakes, optimized rear exhaust silencers and a highly aero-efficient engine compartment, to create the most aerodynamically efficient body in the compact class. The 2016 Civic Coupe’s Cd*A – the combination of coefficient of drag (Cd) and frontal area (A) – is improved by 12.5 percent over the outgoing Civic to best-in-class levels, based on Honda internal test data. The Civic aero design was optimized using a combination of advanced CFD (computation fluid dynamics) and wind tunnel testing of highly detailed 25- and 40-percent scale models and a full-scale model.

Chassis

Building on the foundation of its ultra-rigid and lightweight body structure, the 2016 Civic Coupe utilizes the most sophisticated chassis design in the history of Civic. Its fully independent suspension includes an all-new multi-link rear design mated to a rigidly-mounted rear subframe for a high degree of lateral stability.

Hydraulic compliance bushings, a feature typically reserved for larger or more expense vehicles, are also utilized on Civic (front bushings on all trims, front and rear on Civic Coupes with 1.5-liter turbo engine), improving ride compliance and reducing road vibrations without compromising sporty handling feel. The new Civic Coupe also applies bonded front and rear stabilizer bushings for smoother and more progressive anti-roll behavior. And Civic’s new dual-pinion electric power steering with variable gear ratio provides for more precise steering control and feel—with only 2.2 turns lock-to-lock (vs. 2.87 turns on the previous model) for greatly improved low-speed maneuverability.

The new Civic Coupe’s wider track, plus 1.9 inches at the front and plus 2.5 inches at the rear, and its 0.39 inch wider tire tread, compared to previous Civic Coupe, aid flat handling and lateral grip, while its 3.1 inch longer wheelbase improves ride quality on undulating or rough road surfaces. The Civic also applies Agile Handling Assist for the first time, using the VSA4 system to apply the brake of the front inside wheel at the entry to a corner, improving cornering attitude, stability and precision.

Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH)

Engineers for the new Civic adopted premium noise-isolating materials and design features to achieve a new level of cabin quietness in the compact class. This includes the adoption of new methods to measure and reduce air leaks in the Civic body that, based on Honda’s internal test data, is the most tightly sealed body in the competitive class. Full body air leaks have been reduced 75 percent compared to the previous Civic Coupe.

Safety and Driver Assistive Features

The 2016 Civic Coupe is designed to provide a high level of collision safety performance in a wide variety of collision scenarios, including offset and oblique-angle frontal collisions as well as side and rear impacts. The Civic’s safety performance starts with its class-leading forward visibility and precise, stable and predictable steering, handling and braking performance. Standard four-channel anti-lock brakes (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) 7 with traction control and Agile Handling Assist further enhance dynamic stability and emergency maneuvering and braking performance.

Standard on the Civic Touring Coupe, Honda Sensing™ safety and driver-assistive technology can further reduce the potential for a collision and mitigate the consequences, alerting the driver and taking emergency action when a collision is determined to be imminent. Honda Sensing™ uses both millimeter wave radar and a monocular camera to sense and respond to detected road hazards. The Civic Honda Sensing technology suite includes Adaptive Cruise Control with Low Speed Follow. Honda Sensing features include the following:

  • Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS™)
  • Lane Departure Warning (LDW) integrated with RDM
  • Forward Collision Warning (FCW) integrated with CMBS
  • Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low Speed Follow
  • Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS)
  • Road Departure Mitigation (RDM)
  • All Civics come equipped with a Multi-Angle Rearview Camera14 and Expanded View Driver’s Mirror.

The 2016 Civic utilizes its advanced body structure – including its next-generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ body structure (ACE™), new crash stroke technology and a 590MPa high-strength steel floor – to provide a high degree of occupant protection while minimizing weight and aiding fuel efficiency.

Engineers were challenged not only to create a body that supported their goals for dynamic performance, but also for top-in-class collision performance. The adoption of a more compact front end and shorter front overhang proved to be an exceptional challenge to achieving their goals, effectively shortening the front frame’s crash stroke (the area available to absorb and redirect frontal collision energy). To overcome this challenge and maintain the sporty proportions of the new Civic, engineers developed a new crash stroke design for frontal collisions. A new subframe linked attachment creates a mechanical hinge effect that directs the engine downward in a frontal impact, effectively increasing the front “crash stroke” by 80 mm (3.0 inches).

The Civic utilizes advanced front, side and side curtain airbag technology, including a driver’s front airbag with new spiral stitching for an improved deployment profile; SmartVent® technology for the driver and front passenger side airbags; and a new front passenger airbag with safety vent technology that can mitigate the possibility of injury from airbag deployment when the passenger is “out of position.” These systems work in conjunction with the advanced body structure and optimally tuned interior components to help mitigate injuries in a collision.

Utilizing these design features and safety technologies, the 2016 Civic Coupe targets the highest available crash protection ratings – a 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score in the NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), with top ratings in all test modes; and a TOP SAFETY PICK rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for LX through EX-L trims, with a score of GOOD in all test modes, and a TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating for the Touring trim, equipped with Honda Sensing.

Manufacturing

The 2016 Civic Coupe for the U.S. market will be produced at Honda’s global lead plant for Civic in Ontario, Canada, using domestic and globally sourced parts. Both new engines and the CVT transmission are produced in North America, with the 1.5-liter turbo engine being produced in Anna, Ohio, at the largest automobile engine plant in Honda’s global production network, the 2.0-liter engine being produced in Alliston, Ontario, and its highly precise CVT transmissions are assembled in Russells Point, Ohio, where two on-site wind turbines provide for upwards of 10 percent of the plant’s power needs.