Believe it or not, a new Honda Civic is a very big deal. Over the last 50 years, Honda has sold millions of Civics and the 10th-generation was arguably the best of the lot. Efficient, great to drive, and offered with a number of trims (some of which came with a manual box), it was a truly driver-focused compact car. Luckily for those of us who enjoy driving, it looks like the 11th-generation is simply picking up where its predecessor left off.
The Civic sedan will no longer be offered with a manual—regardless of trim or engine option. A revised version of the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) found in the outgoing Civic will serve as the only transmission option if you want a Civic in this traditional three-box body style. However, if you decide to spring for the forthcoming Civic hatch, you’ll likely also get the option of a six-speed manual gearbox.
Like the Civic hatch that came before it, the 11th-generation model will likely offer a stick shift with the Sport trim, which will likely continue to include the compact car’s available 180-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter I-4. This might not seem like a lot of grunt, but consider the last Civic hatch we tested weighed in at a svelte 2,937 pounds—that’s a solid power-to-weight ratio, and we suspect the new hatch won’t weigh much more than the old one.
If you need even more spunk, then you might want to hold out for the 11th-gen Civic Si sedan and Type R trims. With those high-performance compacts lurking ever closer, and the eventual Civic hatch with a manual surely just a few corners away, we’re more than pleased to report that Honda is still serving enthusiasts. Now, Honda, give us those manuals.
The post Stick It Out: 11th-Gen Civic Si, Type R, and Hatch Set to Get Manual Gearbox appeared first on MotorTrend.
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