cars news 10: Spied! Production Honda Civic Hatchback Caught in the Buff

The 10th-generation Honda Civic lineup is shaping up to be one of the most diverse ever offered in the U.S. In addition to the sedan and coupe on sale now, a hatchback variant will be offered for the first time since 2005. The Civic hatch concept that debuted earlier this year gave us an idea what that model will look like, but now we have an even better idea thanks to these photos from enthusiast forum CivicX.

The photo above appears to show a near-production-ready Civic hatchback boarding a vehicle carrier ship. The rear end features the same coupe-like slope of the concept as well as the large vent details in the bumper. Not surprisingly, the styling is toned down from the concept. There’s no center-mounted dual exhaust or green accents to be found here. Because the Civic sedan features such a radically raked rear, it was often hard to tell hatchback test mules from their trunk-equipped counterparts. But now that the camo is off, the difference is pretty clear. If the cut lines for a liftgate didn’t give it away, the roof-mounted spoiler and split rear glass should. Other photos from CivicX show the front end, which features the same large vents in the front bumper as the concept.

It’s unclear where the carrier ship is headed, but it could be the U.S. given the Civic hatchback’s fall 2016 launch date. Surprisingly, the model goes on sale in Europe after the U.S., in early 2017. The car will likely get the same naturally aspirated 2.0-liter and turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder options as the sedan and coupe, and will probably come paired to either a CVT or six-speed manual. The current Civic Type R is based on the hatchback model, so it’s possible the 10th-gen Type R could follow suit. A Honda Civic Type R is finally set to arrive in the U.S., alongside a new Si model.

Check out photos of the 2017 Honda Civic hatchback in the gallery below. What do you think of the latest addition to the lineup?

Photo source: CivicX