2022 Honda Civic hatchback spied in Japan looking sleek and simple
Like the Civic sedan prototype we saw, the hatchback is taking a much simpler approach to design.
It's nearly time to wave goodbye to the 10th-generation Honda Civic and welcome the 11th-generation model, but before the automaker shows the car off early next year, we have a first look at the hatchback model, thanks to a handful of spy shots.
A Civic XI forum user snapped these photos of the 2022 Civic hatchback testing in Japan where, ironically, Honda doesn't sell the Civic any longer. The three shots don't give everything away, but they absolutely match the early patent drawings we saw this year. I had some reservations about the patent drawings, but after seeing the Civic sedan prototype last month, I'm far more hopeful for the nameplate moving forward. The clean design that dials down the busy factors found all over the current car is actually kind of refreshing.
That same ethos looks like it will apply to the next hatchback model as well. The front clip should be pretty much the same as the sedan, but the rear gets a set of more horizontal taillights, which may also feature a long light bar across the hatch. We don't see the element in the spy shots, but the patent drawings included the feature. What I like most from these shots is the hatchback's overall footprint, though.
The car seems a little shorter than the sedan and really looks more like a fastback than the frumpy shape shown off in the patent drawings. See? It's not right to pass judgement on things early on. We all definitely need to wait and see what becomes of the hatchback when Honda's ready to show it off on its own terms. We'll likely first see the sedan next year followed by the hatch shortly thereafter. Then, expect the new Civic Si to show up. As for the coupe, it's a goner after Honda wraps up production of the current-generation model.
