The new Honda Civic, unveiled in September, has been developed specifically for the European market. The Civic will be offered exclusively as a five-door hatchback and will compete in the C-segment. It will reach European showrooms in early 2012. Honda has released a series of short form films detailing the development of the new Civic. The fifth film focuses on safety.
NEW HONDA CIVIC: Comprehensive Safety in the C Segment
Honda’s commitment to safety is embodied by the term ‘Safety for Everyone’; this means safety for drivers, passengers, pedestrians and all road users. This was at the forefront of the minds of the designers of the new Civic. 
"Honda has a high tech crash test facility in Tochigi, Japan. There we were able to crash the new Civic into vehicles of different weights and sizes, and at different angles and speeds. We wanted to make sure that we are offering the best ‘real world’ safety for our customers." explains Mitsuru Kariya, Civic Development Leader.
One of the ways that this is achieved in the new Civic is through the Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure, a front-mounted polygonal frame that is designed to prevent the cabin becoming deformed by distributing forces away from the passenger compartment.
"Just as important as technology that protects you in a crash is technology that helps you avoid an accident in the first place" says Kariya. "This is the first time that the CMBS system has been introduced on the Civic in Europe." Honda’s Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) monitors the following distance and closing rate between your vehicle and the car directly in front of it, 
warning the driver when a collision is likely and helping reduce impact when a collision becomes unavoidable.
The new Civic also features sophisticated pedestrian protection features. "I am very proud that Honda has a leading reputation for pedestrian safety. It’s an area in the new Civic that has been constantly worked upon." commented Julian Warren, 
Senior Safety Engineer. Pedestrian protection features include windscreen wiper pivots designed to break away on impact and energy absorbing front wing mounts.
Find out more by watching the new ‘Safety’ film release. The film is hosted on an interactive media player where all the films will are available. You can easily download films and images or even embed the whole player in your site. //multivu.com/players/English/51356-honda-motor-europe/.
