Knobs, buttons, fun to drive, and up to 50 mpg means there’s a lot to like.
The current Civic has more restrained styling than previous generations. Now, it comes with a highly efficient hybrid powertrain. Credit: Jonathan Gitlin
When Honda gave the 11th-generation Civic Hatchback a refresh late last year, among the changes were the addition of a hybrid option to the lineup. There was already a lot to like about Honda’s compact, which eschews lamentable trends like an over-reliance on touchscreens for good old-fashioned physical controls. Now, a big efficiency boost makes it even more attractive.
The new powertrain is available in the $29,950 Sport Hybrid and the $32,950 Sport Touring Hybrid (the trim we tested). With an output of 200 hp (150 kW) and 232 lb-ft (315 Nm), it’s both more powerful and torquier than the 1.5 L turbo previously found in the top trim Civics. And it uses a heck of a lot less fuel in the process.
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The Civic uses a hybrid powertrain with two electric motors working with the 2.0 L, four-cylinder engine. One works as a generator to charge the 1 kWh traction battery from the engine under most conditions. The battery then powers the 181 hp (135 kW) traction motor, which is what mostly drives the front wheels, although like most other series hybrids of this nature, it operates as a parallel hybrid with the 141 hp (105 kW) gasoline engine directly driving the front wheels at highway cruising speeds, as that is actually more efficient. (For some reason, this supposed lack of engineering purity seems to really upset some people, who I am sure will let us know why in the comments.)
Jonathan Gitlin
Jonathan Gitlin
Jonathan Gitlin
With most of the propulsive power coming from the electric traction motor, the Civic hybrid feels very smooth when you move off from a standstill. And with so much torque on offer, you only need part throttle most of the time. When the internal combustion engine does fire up, it manages to sound much less unpleasant as it revs away than the engines you might find under the hood of a Toyota hybrid. Evidently, that “bucket of bolts in a blender” noise is not common to all Atkinson cycle engines.
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According to the EPA numbers, the Civic Sport Touring we tested should be capable of 50 mpg (4.7 L/100 km) in the city and 45 mpg (5.2 L/100 km) on the highway. But we tested the car in late December, when the mercury had dropped firmly into “chilly” territory. All vehicles lose efficiency in the winter, but the hit to hybrids can be particularly bad. Driven carefully, about 38 mpg (6.2 L/100 km) was possible in practice, dropping to 34 mpg (6.9 L/100 km) if I hoofed the throttle too often.
And that can be tempting. The car we tested is much more pedestrian than the Type-R, but from the driver’s seat, it wants to eat corners almost as ravenously as that track-tuned model. That surprised me because the Type-R uses a limited slip differential, and these more sedate models do not. This is indeed a car that will reward you for hustling it down a twisty road should the desire arise.
The paddles on the steering wheel increase or decrease the amount of regenerative braking you experience when you lift the throttle rather than changing (non-existent) gears. Turned off, the Civic Hybrid will coast down the road with aplomb; in its strongest setting, it’s not quite one-pedal driving.
The driving position is now rather low-slung for a normal passenger car, no doubt a feeling exacerbated by a driving diet too-heavy in crossovers and SUVs, but you don’t feel quite as close to the ground as you might in, say, an MX-5. Visibility is good, and the ergonomics/HMI deserves praise for the fact that most of the controls are physical buttons. The air vents even have little machined metal stalks to aim them.
It’s a well-thought out interior.Honda
Look at those glorious controls.Honda
It’s a hatchback, so it’s very practical.Honda
It’s also easy to live with. The hatchback means loading cargo is no hassle, although at this price point, you have to close your own tailgate; there is no motor assistance. The front and rear are spacious enough, considering the class of car, and there are plenty of USB-C ports for people to use to recharge their stuff. The heated front seats heated up very quickly on cold days, although a heated steering wheel would have been a nice addition.
The Sport Touring Hybrid we tested also comes with a 9-inch Android Automotive-based infotainment system that includes a full suite of Google’s automotive services, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. And all Civics come with Honda Sensing, the company’s suite of advanced driver assistance systems. Unusually for a Honda, we didn’t even notice that many false positive alerts for the forward collision warning.
In all, I find very little reason not to recommend the Civic Hatchback Hybrid to people looking for a fun and efficient car that’s not too huge, too expensive, or too dependent on touchscreens.
