Honda added petrol power to the Civic hatchback, giving it fuel efficiency that rivals the Toyota Corolla in a premium package.
Here’s everything you need to know about the new Civic Hybrid.
worth
The fact that the Honda Civic Hybrid is expensive compared to its traditional hatchback rivals is inevitable. It’s about $7,000 more than the top-end Mazda3, about $10,000 more than the Volkswagen Golf, and $13,000 more than the Toyota Corolla Hybrid. That said, it’s packed with gear and the quality of cabin materials and finishes is top notch. Tech includes a fully digital driver display, wireless phone charging pad, wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto, satnav and an excellent 12-speaker Bose audio system. Leather front seats, heated front seats and a large sunroof add luxury, but it lacks the heads-up display found in some rivals. The warranty is 5 years and the service is great value at $995 for 5 years.
comfortable
The Civic is a very comfortable long-distance cruiser thanks to its well-cushioned and supportive seat with a wide range of adjustability for all body types and sizes. A backseat passenger has plenty of head and knee space, with his own vents and his two USB ports for charging devices. The purchaser will be given his five-year free access to “Honda Connect,” an app that can remotely pre-cool or heat the car via a phone app. The seats and steering wheel can be heated on cold mornings, and the air conditioning cools the cabin quickly on hot days. The cabin is well insulated from the engine, road noise and wind noise, and the suspension handles rough roads with agility, providing a comfortable yet well-controlled ride in town and on the highway.
safety
The Civic is equipped with all the latest collision avoidance technology, including Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. Lane Keep Assist gently steers you back to the center of the lane without the constant beeping. Other useful technologies include radar cruise he controls that work in stop-start city traffic, speed sign recognition, and driver fatigue detection. His 11 airbags protect occupants in the unlikely event of a crash, including his front center airbag that protects the driver and passenger from hitting their heads in a side collision. Although the car has never crashed locally, it was rated 5 stars by Euro NCAP with his 89% mark for occupant protection.
on the road
It may be expensive, but you can’t dispute the engineering quality of the latest Civic. Combining a 2-liter four-cylinder engine with a small electric motor, the hybrid setup is quiet, refined, punchy and thrifty. This is a rare combination. Given the engine’s performance, it closely matched the claimed fuel consumption of 4.2 liters per 100km. The continuously variable transmission was also one of the best we’ve sampled, keeping the engine bubbling in its sweet spot, and the Honda struck a trade-off between comfort and cornering ability. The car glides over low-speed bumps and road junctures, sits flat in corners, and stays calm on high-speed bumps. Precise and well-weighted steering adds to the enjoyment of driving.
Verdict 3.5/5
The Civic is a top quality product, but the prices seem ambitious when so many great competitors are priced thousands of dollars lower.
Alternative proposal
Toyota Corolla ZR Hybrid, starting at around $42,100. significantly cheaper. No sunroof, head-up display. It has less power and torque and a smaller boot.
Mazda 3 X20 Astina, starting around $47,700. cheap. It makes as much power as his mild-hybrid 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, but is more thirsty. Similar equipment level.
Volkswagen Golf R Line, starting around $45,500. cheaper. It has a sluggish engine and little power, but the cabin is nice and easy to drive.
Honda Civic Hybrid
price $55,000 Driveaway
engine 2.0 liter petrol engine and electric motor, 135kW and 315Nm
Warranty/Service 5 years/unlimited km, $995 for 5 years
safety 11 airbags, automatic emergency braking, lane keeping and blind spot assist, rear cross traffic alert, radar cruise control, traffic sign recognition
use of fuel 4.2l/100km
spare repair kit
load 409 liters