The Evolution of Honda Civic Dashboards

Original by Honda誌, JDM Car Enthusiast Magazine – 2025-05-01 12:52:24 Topic: #HondaCivic

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If you ask which part of a car people care most about, it’s hard to say what everyone would choose. I know many people pay attention to the exterior — after all, if it doesn't look good, it's hard to make the purchase. But if you ask me the same question, my answer may be a bit different. Compared to a car’s looks, I care more about its interior, especially the dashboard design. Why not the exterior? Simple — as a driver, we deal more often with the interior, not the outside. Once you’re in the driver’s seat, who cares how it looks on the outside? That’s for others to see. The interior is different, especially the dashboard — something you constantly see and touch. So if you're always facing a design you dislike, that’s truly a painful experience.

📸 This is the first-gen Civic's interior, showing how simple the dashboard was back then, with very clear gauges.

When it comes to interior design, everyone knows that with each new model generation, the carmaker redesigns the interior, including the dashboard. As Honda’s pillar model, the Civic has seen many dashboard changes. Launched in 1972, the Civic has a 49-year history — nearly half a century — and has gone through 11 generations. So how has the dashboard evolved across these 11 generations? Let’s take a look together.

➡️ Second-gen Civic dashboard: The instruments changed significantly. You can see the speedometer and tachometer are in a two-layer design, with a large speedometer on the outer ring. ➡️ Third-gen Civic dashboard: Also a two-tier layout, the top layer mainly holds air vents. But placing vents that high — weren’t they afraid of blowing into their eyes? ➡️ Fourth-gen EF era: Still a two-layer design, but the air vents were moved to the lower tier. The gauges also became smaller. ➡️ This version looks more modern but is still a 4th-gen EF, just a Sedan, not the Hatchback. ➡️ This is the EF RTX 4WD version — changed to a three-spoke steering wheel. ➡️ Civic once had a Wagon called Shuttle — this is its interior. ➡️ From the 3rd-gen CRX, the Civic introduced the Si version in Gen 4. This is the EF Si dashboard, featuring a three-spoke steering wheel and sporty seats. ➡️ Fifth-gen EG SiR II: Dashboard changed again. White gauges were very likeable, but pairing them with an automatic transmission and a four-spoke wheel feels awkward. ➡️ Even the North American EH3 Si still used a four-spoke wheel. ➡️ Only by the EG9 Ferio SiR do we finally see a three-spoke sports steering wheel — showing it was positioned more sport-oriented than the EG6. ➡️ EJ1 Coupe also had a four-spoke wheel — seems only the Ferio got the official sporty treatment.

🧰 Sixth-gen EK dashboard: Added more storage space at the bottom. 🛰 This generation felt more modern, with color screens and navigation systems appearing in the dashboard. 🕵️♂️ Notice this version? It only has a speedometer, no tachometer — it's a LEV version of EK, meaning Low Emission Vehicle, using the D16A engine for lower emissions. 🚗 Finally, the EK9 Type R — red and black interior, instantly exciting to see.

🇬🇧 Seventh-gen was developed in the UK, becoming a Euro model. This is its Si version. 🚙 Besides the EP Hatchback, there was also an ES Sedan, with a completely different dashboard. 🇺🇸 In North America, there was also a Coupe (EM chassis code). 🎮 Seeing the shift knob and red-black colors — that’s EP3 Type R, the only gen with shifter mounted on the center console. Very special.

🎯 This interior should be familiar — eighth-gen FA. It's almost the same as the Japanese FD, but it had a two-spoke steering wheel. 🛞 The Japanese FD had a three-spoke wheel, as mentioned earlier. 🎛 Si version shared the dashboard but used red instrument lighting. 🛠 The Euro FD was completely different — not just the interior but the chassis too. 🚘 The FD2 Type R — no need to introduce, widely transplanted by Civic fans in China. 💎 The FN2 Type R dashboard was truly beautiful — sadly, a short-lived masterpiece.

🔄 Ninth-gen Civic had FB and FK versions. The FB dashboard was basically a facelift of the FD — very similar, but with a small display on top. 🇪🇺 The Euro ninth-gen Civic, chassis FK, still counted as ninth-gen. Dashboard design evolved from Euro eighth-gen. 📕 FB6 — the ninth-gen Si — same as eighth-gen Si, red instrument lighting, otherwise mostly the same as base versions. 📉 FK2 — ninth-gen Type R — dashboard felt more complicated than the previous gen.

🇺🇸 Tenth-gen Civic was basically a U.S.-market model. No need to elaborate on its dashboard. 📏 FK8 interior resembled the FK2 but was slightly more streamlined. Still, compared to EK9’s era, it was quite complex.

🆕 Eleventh-gen Civic: Honda claims it uses a new minimalist interior design language, and so added a “shrine-like” centerpiece on the dashboard. 🎨 Si version: Even more “minimal” — just added a red trim ring, and that’s it.

🖼 35 images cover most dashboard variations across 1 generations of the Civic. ❓ Which generation’s dashboard design is your favorite?

💬 My favorite is the eighth-gen Civic Type R, the FN2. That wraparound layout leaves me completely defenseless. Though the FK2 is somewhat similar, the FN2’s cocooning feel is stronger — makes me feel like I’m piloting a spaceship.

📝 Which one do you like? Feel free to leave your answer in the comments.