The current-generation Honda Civic is enjoying great success in the United States, where it is offered in both sedan->ke142 and coupe->ke141 body styles, which are powered by gasoline, natural gas, or even a hybrid powertrain. On the other side of the Atlantic, however, the hatchback->ke304 version of the Civic, which Honda->ke34 has yet to bring Stateside, just had its cool factor enhanced by means of a menacing special-edition model.

Dubbed Black Edition and wrapped in a triple black exterior that would make a 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner burst with anger, the new addition to Honda's U.K. lineup is restricted to Great Britain, where it joins similar special-edition versions of the CR-V crossover and the Jazz hatchback (sold as Fit in the United States). Suddenly, it seems like the United Kingdom is a great place to be if you're a Honda enthusiast.

But before we start feeling sorry for not getting it in the United States, let's have a closer look and find out what the Civic Black Edition is all about.

Click past the jump to read more about the Honda Civic Black Edition.

Honda Civic Black Edition in detail

First and foremost, this Civic hatch is damn mean! I mean, if Lord Vader should get bored with its second-generation Buick Regal, then he might as well head over to the U.K. and buy one of these. Well, not buy it per se, because he's Lord Vader, but you get the point. Aside from the headlamps, taillights and the badges mounted on the hatch, everything else is pitch-black on this Civic.

The side skirts, the rear bumper garnish and the roof spoiler have all been painted black to match the vehicle's gloss-black exterior, while the side mirrors received matching covers. Even the Type-R-like fuel lid cover went to the dark side to blend in with the rest of the body. Naturally, the five-spoke wheels round off the stealthy appearance of the car, which is only disturbed by the aluminum "Black Edition" badge and the familiar Honda logos.

Things become less evil under the hood, where customers can choose from a pair of regular Honda powerplants. First on the list is the 1.6-liter i-DTEC, a frugal diesel unit that cranks out 118 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. The brawnier of the two, the 1.8-liter i-VTEC, runs on gasoline and generates 140 ponies and 128 pound-feet of torque. Sure, these powerplants won't send you flying, but they do return great mileage. The diesel, for instance, is good for 78.5 mpg on the U.K. cycle (65 mpg U.S.), while the gasoline engine claims to deliver 46.3 mpg U.K. (38.5 mpg U.S.).

Pricing begins from £21,455 for the gasoline version and from £22,460 for the diesel. This means around $36,700 and $38,460, respectively as of 07/11/2014.