This couldn't have come sooner for Honda. In case anyone was unaware, the ninth-generation Honda Civic, launched for 2012, has been a huge letdown in nearly every single category. Its styling - inside and out - is bland, the interior is composed of cheap materials and the handling, well, let's just say it's far from what we'd normally expect from Honda. Consumer Reports marked the Civic for death when it was denied the coveted spot on the "Recommended List". But Honda aims to regain its honor with an updated version of the compact sedan.

Arriving just one year after the MkIX Civic debuted, the 2013 model has just popped up online ahead of its live debut at the LA Auto Show later this month. As you can see from this pair of images, the new Civic's front end has been restyled with a wide-mouth lower bumper with a horizontal chrome accent and a black honeycomb mesh grille. The rear end has also been resculpted for a more upscale appearance. Honda hasn't detailed all the updates, but says that it has included "safety, feature, comfort, chassis and interior styling enhancements". Deliveries of the new model are set to begin November 29.