Honda confirms Civic hatchback will be built in UK
Honda has pumped an additional $NZ480million into its facility in Swindon after confirming next year’s new Civic family car will be produced there for the global market and not just Europe for the very first time.
The brand, which claims to have already invested a total $NZ4.2 billion into the Wiltshire factory, said the move ‘demonstrated its long-term commitment to manufacturing in the UK’.
The Japanese carmaker previewed the new five-door hatchback with a racey looking Civic prototype at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show last week, a car the brand hopes will appeal to a younger market.
In the official statement released on Tuesday, Jason Smith, the director of Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM) facility, said securing production for the global market was a big coup for the brand and those working at the Swindon plant.
‘By establishing HUM as a global production facility for the all-new Civic hatchback, Honda is demonstrating its long-term commitment to manufacturing in the UK and Europe,’ he said.
‘This is incredibly important for HUM and is a reward for the commitment and effort put in by Honda associates in recent years.
‘As a global production facility for the Civic hatchback we look forward to making the most of the opportunity to export this model not only to our European customers, but also to key global markets.’
The decision comes in light of the uncertainty around the UK’s future position within Europe, with other carmakers with British production hubs warning of the potential consequences for UK manufacturing if the Brexit campaign is a success.
In an interview Philip Crossman, managing director for Honda UK, said the brand is waiting for an outcome on the decision to stay in Europe before planning for the future, but intends to follow through with the new investment at Swindon no matter the result.
‘We won’t make a comment on it as an organisation until a decision is made. We have a huge investment in the UK and I can’t see that being dissipated,’ he said.
‘What the consequences might be two or three years down the line, we just don’t know yet.
‘Hopefully the £200 million investment will secure jobs in Swindon and if the five-door Civic takes off in America it could see Swindon working at full capacity.’
In the official statement released on Tuesday, Jason Smith, the director of Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM) facility, said securing production for the global market was a big coup for the brand and those working at the Swindon plant.
‘By establishing HUM as a global production facility for the all-new Civic hatchback, Honda is demonstrating its long-term commitment to manufacturing in the UK and Europe,’ he said.
‘This is incredibly important for HUM and is a reward for the commitment and effort put in by Honda associates in recent years.
‘As a global production facility for the Civic hatchback we look forward to making the most of the opportunity to export this model not only to our European customers, but also to key global markets.’
The car, which was officially unveiled in Genenva on Tuesday afternoon, is longer, wider and lower than the outgoing model in a bid to improve dynamics and attract a younger audience.
If the concept shown this week is anything to go by, it should certainly appeal to a more youthful age group, with a low-slung body kit, rear spoiler and twin exhausts not too dissimilar to those featured on the current Civic Type R hot hatch.
‘The previous two generations of Civic, probably together with the customer, had become older in appearance – in our eyes it had become a little bit conservative,’ Daisuke Tsutamori, the project leader for Civic, said.
‘What we definitely wanted to realise for the new Civic is to make the design more desirable for younger customers, and that’s why there’s quite a radical change with the appearance.’
The production-ready five-door model will be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show later this year and arrive in dealerships next January.
Honda officials said no decision has yet been taken on whether it will produce a Tourer estate version of the new car.
-Daily Mail