Honda hopes to boost its European sales with the UK-built Civic

The latest Civic model is the first to be entirely built by workers at Honda's plant in the UK.

Honda said it hoped to sell more than 35,000 Civics in the UK in 2006. The new Civic was first shown as a concept at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

Honda said it was also celebrating production of 1.5 million cars at its site in Swindon.

The company has invested more than �1.3bn ($2.3bn) in its UK plant, which first started making vehicles in 1992.

'Important launch'

Honda said it expected production of the new model to lift sales across Europe of the Civic by up to 50% over the next two years.

Honda's decision to design and manufacture the new Civic in the UK is testimony to the global importance of its Swindon operations Swindon's global importance

"For Honda's European operation, this is the most important launch in its history," said Honda Europe president Shigeru Takagi.

He added that production of 1.5 million cars at the plant demonstrated the company's "long-term confidence in UK manufacturing and Swindon, in particular, as a centre of excellence".

Honda employs 4,000 workers at its site in Swindon.

The company's UK managing director, Ken Keir, told the BBC that he was confident production of Civic would provide workers in the UK with "long-term continuity of employment".