Honda Civic
The Honda Civic (Japanese: ホンダ・シビック, Hepburn: Honda Shibikku) is a series of automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1972. As of 2023, the Civic is positioned between the Honda Fit/City and Honda Accord in Honda's global car line-up.
| Honda Civic | |
|---|---|
2017 Honda Civic hatchback | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Honda |
| Also called |
|
| Production | 1972–present |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Subcompact car (1972–2000) Compact car (2000–present) |
| Body style | 2-door fastback sedan/saloon (1972–1979) 4-door fastback sedan (1973–1978) 3-door hatchback (1972–2011) 5-door hatchback (1977–1983, 2000–2021) 5-door station wagon (1974–2006, 2014–2017) 4-door sedan (1980–present) 2-door coupé (1993–2020) 5-door liftback (1995–2001, 2021–present) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Honda N600 Honda Z600 |
The first-generation Civic was introduced in July 1972 as a two-door fastback sedan, followed by a three-door hatchback that September. With a 1,169 cc transverse engine and front-wheel drive like the British Mini, the car provided good interior space despite overall small dimensions. Initially gaining a reputation for being fuel-efficient, reliable and environmentally friendly, later iterations have become known for performance and sportiness, especially the Civic Type R, Civic VTi, Civic GTi and Civic SiR/Si.
The Civic has been repeatedly rebadged for international markets, and served as the basis for the Honda CR-X, the Honda CR-X del Sol, the Concerto, the first generation Prelude, the Civic Shuttle (later to become the Orthia) and the CR-V (which, by extension, was used as the basis for the Honda FR-V).
The Civic is one of the all-time best-selling automobiles in the world, with over 27 million units sold since 1972 as of 2021.