Those of you who lamented the limited selection of 2016 Honda Civics with manual transmissions can take comfort in some news from New York.
The 2017 Civic models with the 1.5-liter turbo four will be offered with a six-speed manual, in addition to the CVT that’s been the only choice on the ’16s, the Honda division for America’s head guy Jeff Conrad said Tuesday at an event ahead of the New York Auto Show.
I drove the 2016 Civic sedan last fall and found the turbo engine strong and enjoyable, but longing for some semblance of gears. Which is probably why I enjoyed the 2.0-liter, naturally aspirated LX with the six-speed manual more – the only way to get a Civic sedan with gears at the moment.
The event in New York coincided with the U.S. debut of the Civic Hatchback prototype unveiled a few weeks at the Geneva Motor Show. Aside from smaller wheels and the lack of green foglights, this is broadly what the production car should look like.
Conrad confirmed the production car would be shown this fall, coinciding with the pairing of the manual to the turbo. A Type-R variant based on the hatchback is also coming, although likely for 2018. And while the coupe and sedan are made in North America, the hatchback will be built solely in Honda’s Swindon factory in Britain.
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