NEW YORK — If a sporty lime-green metallic coupe shown at the New York auto show is any indication, Honda isn't playing it safe with the Civic anymore. When the company last rolled out a new Civic four years ago, it took no risks. The car was panned for unremarkable looks and a cheap interior, with a chintzy plastic dashboard and bed-sheet thin seat fabric. The next-generation Civic unveiled Wednesday has dramatic creases, a longer hood, 20-inch wheels and a big rear spoiler clearly designed to jettison the current car's dull appearance and handling. Honda says the new car was redesigned top to bottom, with US engineers and designers taking the lead. It's got single-line LED tail lights and a mean-looking front grille. The distance between the front and rear wheels is longer, and the car will get all-new engines and transmissions. Honda was short on details about the 10th-generation Civic. Executives did say higher-end versions will get a 1.5-Liter turbocharged engine, a first for Honda in the states. The Civic will debut in the fall with a sedan, followed later by the Coupe and an R-Type high performance version. A five-door hatchback and other unspecified variations are planned as well. — AP
