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Honda is preparing the new Civic mid-sized hatchback for launch at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show in September.
CAR's new spy photos reveal a hatch that's clearly not going to be such a radical departure as the 2005 Civic. That car ripped up decades of middle-of-the-road conservatism with a much more modern aesthetic.

Honda Civic (2012): the scoop

The Civic is one of the longest-running model names in motoring. This is the ninth-generation Civic, and we'll see it in British showrooms in early 2012.
Our scoop pictures show a slightly longer, lower profile than today's Civic. The front end seems to follow the grille and wedgy light theme of the current car.
It's a five-door, and the stretch looks likely to maintain the roominess of the Civic. Look closely at the rear spy photos and it seems that the new 2012 Civic has gained a more Octavia-inspired rear end hatch.

The engine room

An array of new engines will be fitted to the new 2012 Civic, which remains front wheel drive. This test car is powered by a 2.2-litre turbodiesel, according to our sources, although Honda has publicly announced a new smaller diesel is under development.
CAR understands that new small-capacity diesel will be around 1.4 litres, for use in various smaller Hondas, from Jazz to Civic and maybe even in the forthcoming SUVs such as the CR-V revealed earlier this week.