HISTORICALLY strong sales of Honda’s Civic model are proof its Swindon plant and employees have nothing to fear in moving to a one-model line from next summer, says the company.

Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM), in Highworth Road, South Marston, will become a global production hub for the next generation Civic five-door model with a £200m investment at the plant.

The firm currently produces Jazz, CR-V and Civic models at a rate of 120,000 per year, spreading its risk across three products.

However, senior managers say they have no concerns future generations of the Civic will flop and leave the plant and its associates in the lurch.

Rebecca Stead, Honda UK’s head of corporate affairs, said: “The Civic’s been built here for 20 years and has been existent globally for 50 years, so the confidence in the longevity existence of the Civic is extremely secure. It’s very much a core model.”

Production of the Jazz will ease off in June, with the CR-V winding down for the next two-and-a-half years until it is moved to Canada.

Honda is keen to exploit a growing market in the US for five-door hatchbacks, such as the Civic, and ultimately, as the global hub, HUM will ship 50 per cent of its motors across the Atlantic.

For the moment, projections remain at an overall output of 120,000 models per year on the one line active at HUM, where 3,100 associates work.

With the rate of production ticking over at the same level, Rebecca sees no reason why the workforce would change either, for good or bad.

Ms Stead also said the idle, second production line will not be redeveloped for any other purpose, in the hope production might increase in the future.

“That [workforce] will remain static for the moment,” she said. “What the decision does is absolutely guarantee their jobs and the security of their jobs moving forward.

“It also attracts another £200m of investment, which brings us up to £2.2 billion in Swindon and, moving forward, it secures the future and the here and now. We are going to leave it, because it gives us the flexibility to open up the second line.

“It is mothballed. We have no plans to do anything than leave it as a production line, but we’re not going to predict the future either. Right now, it gives absolute security for everybody there.”

Leon Brannan, head of car, said: “If you look at the 3,100 people and the production figures for that are 120,000, which is the single line. The plan for Civic in that next situation is exactly the same as it is now. So if it works now it will work then.”

The pair were answering questions at the UK launch of the new Civic range and CR-V in Swindon.

The Civic, Civic Tourer and CR-V will all be available in UK showrooms this spring. The 2015 Civic has benefitted from updated styling, all-new suspension and advanced safety and infotainment technologies. The line up has also expanded to introduce a new Sport derivative echoing similar styling to the anticipated Civic Type R.

For more information, visit: honda.eu/gb