The world's motoring press is descending on Wiltshire for the next three weeks to test Honda's new Swindon-made Civic.

Arguably the most important car Honda has made to date, the New Civic represents a massive investment in terms of cash in its new factory at South Marston, but more importantly, in producing a class leading car for Europe.

That this car is a success is enormously important to Honda and to the town.

The company is flying in journalists from around the world and has booked rooms in the five-star Lucknam Park Hotel near Chippenham for the three weeks. The reporters will be given the chance to drive the car and look around the Swindon factory.

With more than 4,000 people due to be working on at least four different car models by 2002, Honda's contribution to the local economy is huge.

It recently decided to postpone production of a new small car at Swindon and concentrate on making the successful all-wheel-drive CR-Vs, some of which will be exported to Japan and North America.

This, along with production of the European-designed New Civic, marks a turning point for the Swindon operation, placing it firmly at the forefront of Honda's global strategy.

"This is a Civic for the 21st Century, the first of the all-new global range for 2001," said spokesman Paul Ormond.

"While the name remains the same, this is the greenest and most efficient mass-produced Honda to date.

"Rather than simply meet expectations for this, the seventh generation of Civic, we decided from the outset that it would raise the stakes with an all-new design indeed, a Civic for the 21st Century."

The new factory, which will initially be making the three-door Civic, is nearly a third smaller than its Canadian counterpart, but economies of space mean that it will be building the same number of cars 100,000 a year.