2019 Honda Civic spotted testing in India for the first time [Video]

IAB reader Manish Goel has spotted a heavily-camouflaged test mule of the 2019 Honda Civic on the expressway near Sector-144, Noida. The tenth generation Honda Civic, which received a mid-cycle facelift in August this year, will launch in India around the advent of the next financial year.

The mid-cycle action for the 2019 Honda Civic sedan brings in a handful of subtle updates for the globally successful model. The front-end features smoked headlamps, a gloss black finish for the 'wing' element on the grille, C-shaped chrome appliques on the fog lamp housings, a prominent full-width diffuser on the front bumper, and chrome accents on the rear bumper. The updated sedan has received two new exterior paint shades - Platinum White Pearl and Molten Lava Pearl.

On the inside, the 2019 Honda Civic features an updated 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The India-spec 2019 Honda Civic will hit the market with two engine options - 1.8-litre i-VTEC petrol and 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel. The former is likely to output a maximum power of 141 PS and a peak torque of 174 Nm.

The oil-burner, which comes from the latest-gen Honda CR-V outputs 120 PS and 300 Nm. In comparison, the European version uses a twin-turbocharged version of this motor with a maximum power of 160 PS and a peak torque of 350 Nm.

The petrol motor should come mated to a CVT, while the diesel engine is expected to be available with a 6-speed manual transmission and an optional ZF-sourced 9-speed automatic unit.

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Honda Cars India is reportedly aiming for a localisation level of 68% for its D-segment sedan. The 2019 Honda Civic will be brought to India through the CKD route, with the components imported from the Ayutthaya plant in Thailand. The company is banking on existing Honda Civic customers as prospective buyers of the all-new model.