Spy shots of the upcoming 9th generation 2012 Honda Civic test mules are doing their rounds in the internet. The Civic has been the most important car for Honda since 1972, when the first generation Civic hit the streets.

Here are some renderings of the 9th gen European 2012 Civic hatchback. The 2012 Civic could be launched before the end of 2011.

Takanobu Ito, Honda CEO -

We are taking more time to rethink the new Civic and all our models. We had to revisit our development work and planning to comply with the change in the environment. The team is struggling.

The 8th generation Honda Civic which was introduced in 2006 was a radical departure from the typical mid-size sedan and was touted to be best Civic ever but the car aged faster than usual. Now Honda has a big task cut out to replace the 8th gen model.

The 2012  Honda Civic should look better than the present model, not necessarily different, and might feature new engines. The 1.3-liter i-VTEC hybrid engine currently doing its duty in the Civic Hybrid is likely to be carried over.

The 1.5-liter gasoline engine paired to Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist powertrain used in the Honda CR-Z Hybrid is another viable option. The interiors of the car would look futuristic and could  borrow a lot of design cues from the CR-Z.

The 2012 Suzuki Swift was launched yesterday and going by the official images, the car’s design wasn’t very different compared to the outgoing model. Despite having many mechanical changes and upgrades, the looks have evolved only marginally. I’m sure Suzuki isn’t the only company that’ll leave a majestic, futuristic and accepted design largely untouched. Honda, in all likelihood, should follow the same path with this new Civic.

Source: Autosblog France