TOKYO — The redesigned Honda Civic hatchback continues the nameplate’s tradition of gradually growing bigger. It’s a little longer and gets a wider rear tread, not to mention more rear legroom.

Honda Motor Co. pulled the wraps off the updated compact hatch late Wednesday in an online unveiling.

On the outside, the 2022 hatchback shares the same styling evolution as the new-generation sedan, which was unveiled in April. The sedan has just gone on sale, and the hatch is expected to arrive stateside this fall.

The front pillar is pushed back, and the roofline tapers back into more of a fastback silhouette. The beltline gets pulled higher for a more upscale look marked with a sleek, straight crease.

The 11th-generation hatchback is longer and slightly lower than the outgoing model. It also has a longer wheelbase. The reconfiguration helps eke out extra rear-seat legroom.

It will be offered with a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to either a continuously variable transmission or a six-speed manual.

Honda has confirmed that the hatchback will form the base of a new-generation Type R hot hatch that will arrive in 2022. A hybrid version, employing Honda’s new e:HEV two-motor system, will also be introduced next year in select markets. Honda, which offers no hybrid version of the Civic in the U.S., plans to drop internal combustion from its worldwide lineup by 2040.

Chief Engineer Yosuke Sato expects the hatchback to account for about a quarter of the Civic’s U.S. sales by appealing to its base — young people looking for a reliable, versatile ride. “We are targeting simple-use, first-time buyers and young people in the U.S.,” Sato said at a Japan preview.

The next Civic hatchback will be built in the U.S. for the first time, at Honda’s Greensburg, Ind., assembly plant. It has been imported from the U.K. previously.

Honda has sold 27 million Civics worldwide since the car went on sale in 1972. Today, the nameplate is made at 10 factories around the globe and is sold in some 170 markets.

Last year, Honda delivered 680,000 Civics all told.