The All-New 2012 Honda Civic

The new, ninth generation Honda Civic (or 2012 model) has been unveiled for the North American Market and has gone on sale this year. The new model is also expected to go on sale in Europe soon, while the launch has been delayed in Japan due to the earthquake and tsunami. Usually, Honda Civic launches their new models in the Philippines a few months (at least half a year) after they are launched in the U.S.--could we be seeing the new Civic here in the Philippines soon?

The Honda Civic has become a favorite among Filipino car buyers over the years, due to its styling and fuel efficiency. It competes head-on with the Toyota Corolla, which is, of course, one of the world's bestselling cars. In 2010, the Toyota Corolla was the 10th bestselling car in the Philippines (according to TopGear Philippines), and the Civic wasn't even on the list. Will the new 2012 model allow Civic to win back a place in the top five, just like from the years 1995-2002 and 2006-2007? I have to admit, the Civic has been losing its touch over the past few years. Either people go for the cheaper cars (which allowed the cheaper Toyota Vios to wiggle its way to the top spot since 2008, or go for the big SUV's (which put the likes of the Mitsubishi Montero Sport and Toyota Fortuner among the top five in the past few years). With more and more car models being introduced to the Philippines, will the Honda Civic be able to compete? Good luck!

Anyway, here are some photos of the 2012 model (US Market), courtesy of automobiles.honda.com: