This is It: 2016 Honda Civic Coupe Officially Unveiled Before LAAS

Honda took its wraps off the 2016 Honda Civic Coupe earlier today before the Los Angeles Auto Show and it looks absolutely gorgeous.

Honda decided to get a jump on the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show and skipped a long drawn out reveal instead opting for an unveil at their Advanced Design Studio in Downtown Los Angeles. According to Honda’s official press release  they dropped earlier today (Nov. 17, 2015) what differentiates the coupe from the sedan is a more compact form and a different mix of power plants.

Other than that you still get the same state of the art connectivityas unveiled in the sedan. That means  android auto, Apple CarPlay and Honda Navigation by Garmin. Compared to the 9th generation Civic, this Civic coupe sees interior space grow by 8.4 cubic inches and rear seat legroom by more than five inches.

Pictures are just hitting twitter, Instagram, facebook and [insert your favorite social media platform here] and the hype surrounding the Civics good looks have been thoroughly justified. Take a gander at these preliminary photos hitting the web and the official photos Honda put out there.

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The exterior differences between the coupe and sedan extend to the overall dimensions. Honda calls it their “wheels out” proportions and that means a longer wheelbase by 2.9 inches, a wider body by 1.9 inches and a shorter overhang by 1.4 inches less. We look forward to how the aftermarket scene will play around with these more aggressive and generous proportions.

The front sports the same bold and aggressive front end as the sedan. The side profile sports a sleek and longer pronounced body with great rear athletic proportions and out back Honda has extended the rear taillights to wrap around with the interior middle portion lighting up as opposed to the sedan (which is what we hoped for.)

The base model engine is now a beefier 2.0-liter DOCH i-VTEC (compared to the previous 1.8-liter) putting out a generous 158HP and 138 lb-ft of torque. That’s an increase of 15 HP and 9 lb-ft compared to the 9th gen. Higher trims get the smaller 1.5-liter Turbo putting out 174 HP and 162 lb-ft of torque.

Base model engine MPG is 31/41/35 mpg (city/highway/combined) for engines with the CVT and 31/42/35 mpg for the 1.5-liter turbo. That means if you lay off the loud pedal for highway cruising, you can really eek out he MPG. Inside you sit lower by an inch, the roof is raked at a greater angle and overall the coupe benefits stylistically from more compact proportions.

Inside, gone is the bean counter spec interior as Honda has gone for more high-quality materials and high-contrast finishes. “These include a new one-piece, soft-touch instrument panel with molded stitching; more premium seat fabrics; a new full-color TFT center meter (EX and above trims); door inserts with real stitching; an LED shift indicator and LED overhead lighting; and for EX and higher trims, a leather shift lever boot.”

There are more standard features compared to the ninth gen. Civic as well including “auto on/off headlights, LED daytime running lights, LED taillights, acoustic glass windshield, automatic climate control (dual-zone in upper trims), Electric Parking Brake with Brake Hold and Walk-Away auto door locks.”

Taking a cue from Corolla, although not standard, LED headlights are optional as well as remote engine start, heated front seats and side mirrors,rain-sensing wipers, full-color TFT center meter and seven-inch Display Audio touchscreen.

As for Safety, Honda is going for the Gold with a NCAP 5-star rating, so no need to worry on that front.

The new Civic looks absolutely gorgeous all around and now with more powerful and fuel-efficient engines, a top-notch interior and more room inside, Honda is now back to form with the Civic.

Honda has taken quality issues seriously and really kicked its game up a notch and  gone beyond consumer expectations.

We’re saying it. Civic trumps Corolla as far as this generation is concerned. Toyota had better do their homework to catch up. It’s going to take millions in R&D and a clean sheet design like Honda did to catch up. .

Next: This Is It: 2016 Honda Civic Sedan Unveiled With Civic Type R On The Way

Well done Honda.