The upcoming Honda Civic Tourer has been spotted testing under camouflage for the first time. The car’s styling will closely resemble that of the Civic Tourer concept first unveiled at the 2013 Geneva motor show.
Honda’s 2014 Civic Tourer: the details so far
Inspired by the Accord and Civic ‘Aero Deck’ models of the 1980s and 1990s, the Civic uses a tall roofline for maximum cargo space. The near-vertical tailgate is bisected by high-mounted taillights like those on the regular Civic hatchback, and a full-width light bar as seen on the concept car. Under the test-mule’s disguise is a ‘floating’ roof that hides the car’s rear-most pillar, like a Jaguar XF Sportbrake.
The centrally-mounted dual tailpipe as seen on the Geneva concept has been binned though – Civic Tourers will mirror their hatchback cousins in hiding the exhaust pipe altogether. Perhaps that sporty central pipe could make a comeback for the 300bhp Civic Type-R hatchback, due 2015… The Civic Tourer also carries over the hatchback’s hidden rear door handles. The front end styling will be carried over from the regular Civic unaltered.
Powertrains and cabin architecture will of course be shared with the regular Civic, while load space should be up near the best in class. The notably low load sill and simple beam rear suspension should provide minimal intrusion into the load bay, while Honda’s ‘magic seats’ will fold away to create a commodious boot.
Expect to see the Honda Civic Tourer on sale in spring 2014. It’ll be built alongside the current Civic hatch and CR-V at Honda’s Swindon plant – good news for the workforce, which saw its numbers cut by 800 earlier this year in the face of slack European demand.