Honda's new Civic hoping for good reception (From The Northern Echo)

Honda's new Civic hoping for good reception

2:14pm Friday 26th August 2011 in News By Nigel Burton

HONDA is placing a premium on ride and refinement for the new 2012 Civic.

The company has admitted that it has worked hard to build in a new level of refinement for the car that will replace the current Civic line-up early next year.

The remorseless mark of premium small cars has led buyers to expect more from Focus-class vehicles and top of their expectations is a quieter cabin.

Smooth-engines and refinement create a feeling of prestige, and that's the sensation Honda wants to build into the Civic.

The development team worked hard to sharpen every detail of the design, build and aerodynamics, to optimise the interior refinement in the new Civic.

Encouragingly, they also spent time testing the car in Europe to tune the new Civic to suit the varying road conditions.

They also made use of Honda’s anechoic (echo-free) chamber in its research and design facility in Swindon to fine-tune the cabin insulation. One of the results of the work in the anechoic chamber 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 played a key role in maximising its refinement.

Several members of the development team called upon their Formula One experience to help deliver a car that combines a low coefficient of drag with excellent 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.

Kazuo Sunaoshi, chassis development leader, explained: “We did not improve the noise and refinement of the new Civic through just one technique.

“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.”

The new Honda Civic makes its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.