In the not-so-distant past, cramming two types of powertrains into one car meant heavy, bulky, shoe-shaped vehicles with poor handling and driving dynamics. Hybrids have come on leaps and bounds since the days of the first Toyota Prius – we now have luxury hybrids, pickup trucks, supercars alongside environmentally conscious daily drivers. . Honda hasn’t had a hybrid compact sedan since the Insight went out of production two years ago, but just as hybrids are becoming a hot item again, Honda is back in the compact hybrid sedan (and hatchback!) game with new Civic model Mixed.
Full disclosure: Honda invited me to drive the new Civic Hybrid in Montreal before attending the Canadian GP as a company guest. They put me up in a hotel, fed me seafood and gave me a ticket to the Red Bull Racings suite to watch the race in style.
Let’s start with deets. Honda has combined a 2.0-liter Atkinson inline-four with an electric motor to produce 200 horsepower and 232 pound-feet of torque. Of those 200 horses, the gasoline engine is responsible for 150 of them. That’s the same amount of power as the Civic Si sedan, but the Hybrid offers 40 more lb-ft, though the Si is still the best choice for those who prefer to drive themselves because the Hybrid only comes with a CVT. The Civic Hybrid also comes in a hatchback version, while the Si only comes in a sedan version. You can have a manual, or a five-door, you can’t have both. It’s not a perfect world, as close as it can be.
Prices are quite on par with the segment. A base Civic Hybrid Sport starts at $28,750 while the Sport Touring starts at $31,750, slightly more expensive than small hybrids like the Toyota Corolla Hybrid ($23,500) and Hyundai Elantra Hybrid ($25,550). USD).
In terms of looks, the Civic has had a bit of a refresh for both hybrid and non-hybrid models, with a more aggressive front end and a sporty new grille. The special Hybrid version receives many small new design highlights such as black B-pillars, black window surrounds and a body-colored front spoiler.
The first difficulty, as with any vehicle, was connecting my phone to the infotainment system. Several Honda representatives were on hand to help, but honestly, getting my Pixel 6 up and running (don’t judge me) was a breeze. This makes sense because the entire system is now built-in by Google. Finally, a vehicle for the much-maligned Pixel users. We will overcome! When my US phone struggled to get directions in Montreal, switching to the built-in Google Maps app got me back on track in no time. It quickly found the hotel with a basic search, even when I was turned off by the Honoré Mercier Bridge into a strange area. It’s all controlled on a sharp and responsive 9-inch central touchscreen — just the right size, as far as I’m concerned.
Ease is the name of the game for this car. Easy to live with, easy to drive and easy to love. Honda continues the recent trend of creating absolute quietness in its cabin – whether on the cobblestones of the old town, a steel-grated bridge surface or a regular street, the inside of the car remains silent thanks to the Active noise control and wheel resonators. Even with the sunroof, this Civic is a sanctuary in a bustling city filled with thousands of race fans and exotic cars.
Of course, driving in Eco mode with the electric motor as the main driving force will certainly make the cabin quieter. Switching to Sport gives the Civic Hybrid that extra punch you might need on winding roads or, for our testing purposes, on city highways. Selecting the up-throttle Sport mode actually increases powertrain noise, but in a good way.
After about 45 miles of mixed city and highway driving, with only a short time spent in Sport thanks to the intense traffic caused by the Canadian GP, my EV range was halved thanks to regenerative braking freely. Honda offers four levels of regen, with the upper providing more than enough traction for a comfortable and natural pedaling. The 20 or so minutes I spent on Sports only reduced my fuel reserves by a few ticks. Honda says the Civic Hybrid averages 50 mpg in city and highway driving, more than enough for most people to keep their fuel consumption green.
Active safety features have also been improved for a more natural feel. Lane-keeping assist feels less like the steering wheel is haunted by a raging demon and more like it’s haunted by a friendly driving ghost sitting in the passenger seat. Collision with traffic is no problem with the adaptive cruise control system with traffic jam assist. I’m a nauseous girl, and normally such systems make my head spin after just two or three brakes, but the Civic Hybrid helped both car and driver get through stop-and-go traffic.
Honestly, most new cars are so great that I have to work pretty hard to find something to complain about. I usually do that – I get paid to complain about the free cars I’m given – but this time, Honda silenced me. As small sedans go, this one is fast, user-friendly, and has all the tech you want and none of the crap bells and whistles you don’t have. There are screens, but the whole car doesn’t feel dominated by spaceship technology. There are physical controls for everything you might need, maybe even to spare, but with such short time in the car, that’s a plus. The Civic is not a car you need to know about. It’s intuitive. It was a car that I jumped in, connected my phone without a PR person, drove without much concern, drove without problems or hesitation and jumped out again. You can lend it to your grandmother and trust that she won’t call you every five minutes asking questions like “how do I increase the temperature?” or “where is my gas gauge?” Would grandma understand regenerative braking or one-pedal driving? Sure is not. But the point is, this is the first car, designed to function like a car needs to function. Technological marvels come second.
Americans have been clamoring for the Civic for decades, to the tune of 12 million since 1973. There’s a lot more to come for this Civic with its hot hybrid powertrain. For those looking to ease into electrification with a stylish, comfortable and safe vehicle, you really can’t ask for more. And you won’t have to wait much longer – the 2025 Civic Hybrid sedan goes on sale June 12, and the hatch will debut later this summer.
