New Honda Civic for the European Market
Honda will launch the new Civic at the IAA Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Developed specifically for the European market, the Civic will be offered exclusively as a five-door hatchback and will compete in the C-segment. It will reach European showrooms in early 2012.
In the build-up to the reveal of the new Civic, Honda is releasing a series of short form films detailing its development. The third of these films focuses on noise and refinement. One of the focuses of the development team for the new Civic was optimising the interior refinement.
According to the company, the engineers have spent a lot of time testing the car in Europe, tuning the new Civic to suit the distinctive road conditions. The team used Honda’s anechoic chamber in its R&D Facility in Swindon, England, to fine-tune the cabin insulation.
One of the results of this research was to modify the design and construction of the roof lining, and how it interacts with the bodywork.
The new Civic’s aerodynamic efficiency also plays a key role in maximising its refinement. Several members of the development team have Formula One experience, which they used to deliver a car that combines a low coefficient of drag with high-speed stability. Hours of meticulous work in the Honda wind tunnel has improved performance, reduced fuel consumption and resulted in an exceptionally quiet interior, the company said.
“We did not improve the noise and refinement of the new Civic through just one technique,” says Kazuo Sunaoshi, development leader – Chassis. “It was the accumulation of lots of little details. My big challenge was to match the noise and vibration levels of our European competitors. I am proud to say that we have achieved our goals.”
