What's all this about?
Honda is going to use the Paris Motor Show to, er, show off the revised 2015 model year Civic range.
Is the Type R going to be there?
Umm, no. But there is a Civic Sport model to coo over.
Excellent. Is it a halfway house model with 200hp and a VTEC engine?
Umm... again, no. Sorry to disappoint you.
Oh dear. So what IS new about these Civics?
Er, they look a bit different. All 2015MY Civics get a revised front bumper and headlights with integrated daytime running lamps, while the hatchback (not the Tourer estate) also benefits from a revised rear bumper, side skirts, the rear spoiler finished in black and LED rear combination lamps.
And this Sport model?
Available as a hatch only, it previews a few Type R trinkets - black headlining within and a lower mesh grille at the front - while also gaining a set of unique 17-inch alloys and a colour-coded rear spoiler. You can opt for a 142hp 1.8 i-VTEC petrol engine or (our recommendation) a 120hp 1.6 i-DTEC turbodiesel.
Hold me back. Anyway, what about inside?
Some minor trim upgrades are included but the bigger news is that the all-new Honda Connect in-car audio and information system will be fitted as standard, which offers DAB and internet radio with AM/FM functions, Bluetooth connectivity, a rear-view parking camera, internet browsing and the option of fitting factory satnav. This is controlled by a seven-inch touchscreen running Android 4.0.4 software, meaning the familiar 'pinch, swipe and tap' functionality of a good smartphone will be at the fingertips of all Civic buyers in the future.
Anything else you'd like to add?
All 2015MY Civics also get Honda's City Brake Active collision mitigation system, which uses radar tech to automatically apply the brakes if it thinks the driver has momentarily gone to sleep during urban driving. This only works at up to 19mph, though, hence the 'City' part of the system's name.
Matt Robinson - 24 Sep 2014