Next-gen 2021 Honda Civic sedan leaked

New images of what's claimed to be the production-ready 2021 Honda Civic sedan have been posted online after the vehicle was spotted being inspected by the Chinese road traffic authority.

The 2021 Honda Civic hatch is already confirmed for Australia, but the local arm of the Japanese brand has ruled out the new-generation sedan for now, citing hatchback as the preferred body style for the vast majority of buyers.

A launch date is anticipated in the second half of 2021.

Looking near identical to the prototype concept unveiled in November 2020, it's clear the new Civic sedan will have more grown-up, conservative, cleaner looks inspired by the most recent Honda Jazz supermini and the Honda HR-V SUV.

Featuring a longer bonnet, smoother headlights and what's said to be a more assertive side profile, the production car carries over the concept's almost BMW-esque rear-end design.

Up front, the more traditional Honda ‘face’ combines a small grille and large lower air dam on the front apron.

It’s perhaps the rear-end that really grabs attention with its Euro-inspired LED tail-lights, in-built duck-tail boot spoiler, shark-fin antenna and integrated exhaust pipes.

Expect a variety of model grades across hatchback and sedan body styles, including eventually full-house Honda Civic Type R performance guise.

Inside, the cabin follows current trends with a super-simple layout that minimises controls and keeps the focus on the main areas of the instrument panel and large touch-screen infotainment system.

Even the dashboard design has been streamlined and the steering wheel controls have been pared back for a simpler, fuss-free finish and the result is a more upmarket look and feel.

It’s not quite as cool as the Honda e EV with its full-width widescreen LCD display, but it’s considerably different from the current Civic.

Honda still hasn't released any information on its next-gen powertrains, but we expect small turbo-petrols and petrol-electric hybrids to be offered.

The latter will combine a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors, one that drives the front wheels and the other within the transmission casing.

A second, more powerful hybrid borrowed from the Honda CR-V is also an option that uses a larger 2.0-litre engine.

Upgrades to the Civic’s safety systems will revolve around the latest Honda Sensing set-up, which is expected to deliver improvements to autonomous braking, steering and acceleration functions.