FRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW: 2012 Honda Civic hatch

The wraps have come off Honda's 2012 Civic hatch at the Frankfurt motor show, revealing updated exterior and interior designs and touting improved ride and handling characteristics.

The 2012 five-door Honda Civic hatch now features LED daytime running lights and brake lights and boasts a sportier image thanks to reworked sheet metal. Developed specifically for European markets, the Civic will go on sale in the UK early in 2012 but no word on its local arrival yet.

Honda says its designers wanted the new look to convey the Civic's "more dynamic feel", while incorporating the company's move into the aviation arena with its Honda Jet.

According to a Honda media statement, "Sources of inspiration included a ‘blended wing body’ aeroplane in which the fuselage and wings blend into a single body for superior aerodynamic performance."

Obtuse aerospace inspiration aside, Honda explains that the new Civic was developed with "particular focus on ride and handling". The Japanese carmaker put the new car through a rigorous testing phase and says it has finetuned the chassis to deliver dramatically improved ride quality (despite persisting with a relatively low-tech torsion beam rear suspension setup).

The new 2012 Honda Civic hatch will also boast reduced CO2 emissions, thanks to the expected fitment of a 2.2-litre i-DTEC diesel engine that emits just 110g/km. This engine also outputs 110kW/ 350Nm. We'll have more details on the petrol engine line-up tomorrow, so check back then.

Updates to the interior of the Civic are said to impart a heightened sense of comfort thanks to the use of high quality materials, and Honda says that the car will retain "class-leading cabin, boot space and practicality."

The cabin has been updated with a new steering wheel, savnav system, while the two-tier instrument display appears to have been retained, with the digital speedometer above the tachometer.

Stay tuned for more details as the Frankfurt motor show begins in earnest.