2016 Honda Civic 1.5T Rumored to Ditch Manual Transmission
Enthusiasts excited about the new turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine in the 2016 Honda Civic might not be too happy with the transmission options.
A color matrix for the 2016 Civic leaked on AutoGuide.com‘s 10thCivicforum.com suggests that a six-speed manual transmission will only be available with the base 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and not with the more expensive and powerful 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. What’s worse for drivers looking for a fun experience, the turbo engine is rumored to only be available with a CVT.
The base engine is expected to offer 158 horsepower, the most ever offered in a base Civic, while the turbocharged 1.5-liter should deliver 174 hp.
SEE ALSO: The 2016 Honda Civic is the Civic You’ve Been Waiting For
When asked about the rumor, Honda spokesperson Robyn Eagles said, “We have not confirmed it publicly, yet.” This seems to suggest that the rumors are true and Honda simply hasn’t announced it yet. All of the details on the Civic will officially be released on October 19.
Honda says this Civic was designed from the start to bring back the car’s fun-to-drive roots. Honda claims body rigidity is up 25 percent, while weight is down 68 pounds, for the body at least. Also helping in the handling department is variable gear ratio steering, larger front and rear stabilizer bars and brake-torque vectoring.
Watch our first look video below:
Discuss this story at our 10th Civic Forum
Stephen covers all of the day-to-day events of the industry as the News Editor at AutoGuide, along with being the AG truck expert. His truck knowledge comes from working long days on the woodlot with pickups and driving straight trucks professionally. When not at his desk, Steve can be found playing his bass or riding his snowmobile or Sea-Doo. Find Stephen on <A title="@Selmer07 on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/selmer07">Twitter</A> and <A title="Stephen on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/117833131531784822251?rel=author">Google+</A>
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It's a little hard to believe that Honda is serious about 'bringing back the fun' if they make it impossible to have their manual transmission hooked up to their most 'fun' engine ever. [for a Civic sedan - at least]
I"m still wondering what variable gear ratio steering is... You can set how many turns of the wheels for lock-lock? I wonder if the car comes with auto start/stop so the engine will stop at stop lights.