2016 Honda Civic viewed prowling the wilds of Ann Arbor

Autoblog and owner’s forum CivicX.Com saw it first: Personal. I don’t give a damn as to when or where we’ll finally lay eyes on Honda’s 10th Generation Civic, I’m here to drive it! But come on, someone at Honda, or one of their event wranglers decided that it would be o.k. to drive 2016 Honda Civic through the streets of Ann Arbor without camouflage. Hum, just a bit unusual.

O.K., 10th Gen 2016 Honda Civic looks good. What blows this journalist away, is the great lengths that Honda and all manufacturer’s go to, just to have that ‘ a-ha’ moment blown by a supposed spy shot. This happens more often than not today in our snap-happy, cam-phone toting selfie society. Of course in this particular case, Honda public relations is just a bit suspect. After all, Honda’s second to none as to building anticipatory angst when it comes to a new car reveal.

How 2016 Civic Was Revealed

Any press is good press, right?

In speaking with Honda National Public Relations Director Ms Robyn Eagles, we’re assured that this premature photo op of sorts was not intentional. I believe Ms Eagles. So who’s hanging by their thumbs this morning in the Honda corporate dungeon?

Well, now that we know what she looks like

A tip of the collective hat to Honda engineering and design for producing a production offering that closely shadows the NYIAS Civic concept, one of our favorite Honda coupe manifestations to date.

After driving 2016 Acura ILX and the substantially refreshed 2016 Honda Accord, we had a pretty good idea as to where Honda was headed with Civic design.

As to 2016 Civic: Honda design has “killed it here,” as to producing a visually pleasing, thought provoking body line, superior aerodynamics, digital head and taillight body integration, while carrying Honda’s next generation signature look into the Civic lineup. Take notice Toyota Corolla, Civic still has your number.

Taking the ‘compact car’ out of Civic

Truthfully, there’s little surprise found for Honda-Torque News in this photo confirmation of Civic’s design directive. Honda’s uptick, uptrend, and up-sized, more car for your money philosophy carries through to the Civic lineup, something we had anticipated after driving 2015 Honda Civic sedan. After all, where else could Honda go with Civic design but upscale?

When we talk ‘compact global-platform,’ hatchback design compatibility, while looking to the competition, specifically Toyota Corolla, 2016 Honda Civic comes up to the proverbial plate swinging!

We haven't viewed the specification sheet yet, so to assume like our friends at Forbes.Com, that Civic is much larger,(wheel base) is a bit premature. We do anticipate a refined Civic with a bit more peddle and greater personal connectivity prowess.

But, we will go out on a limb here with our latest predictions as to Civic ride improvement, performance, expanded personal connectivity and cabin quiet.

If one picture says a thousand words, then at the least, this bride before the wedding reveal confirms that Honda’s design directive carries through to Civic, as the entire lineup is reinvented in 2015, “The Year Of Honda.”