Honda Civic Hybrid review

“If you’re a ‘best of both worlds’
kind of person, when it comes to
your car a hybrid will be at the top
of your list — especially a self-
charging one that makes all its
own electricity...”

AT A TIME when many drivers are beginning to step back and take a long hard look at all-electric vehicles, a hybrid is still a no-brainer, blending, as it does, the best of ICE (FYI: Internal Combustion Engine) tech with the benefits of electrification and, into the bargain, giving drivers what they want with a guarantee of absolutely no range anxiety.

A practical five-door family-friendly hatchback, the coupe-styled all-new Honda Civic comes in a single powertrain spec that partners a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine with a twin electric motor setup (one generator and one drive motor) similar to that already in service with its excellent CR-V SUV. The four-cylinder direct-injection twin-overhead cam engine is good for 141bhp and 137lb ft while the main drive motor contributes 181bhp and 232lb ft. Power, as is the norm today, is put down through the front wheels.

Choosing your Civic is as easy as ABC… Actually, it's easier because there's only the one drivetrain. But you do get to select from three trim specs (Elegance, Sport, and Advance). For the record, all three versions deliver the same performance: 112mph and 0-62mph in 8.1 seconds.

“In everyday driving,
pull-aways are slick and
silent using electric
power; thereafter,
whenever strong urge is
needed, it fires up the
petrol engine.
What all this adds up to
in fuel economy terms
is an official combined
figure of 56.5mpg.
Impressively, and without
any attempt to drive
economically, we
averaged 55.7mpg during
our road-test week...”

The new Civic looks long and sleek and you expect it to be airy and spacious inside. Swing open the driver's door and drop into the sporty seat and space — plenty of it — is exactly what you'll find. The low-mounted seats are extremely and instantly comfortable, hugging you securely but lightly enough not to impede entry or exit manoeuvres.

And there's a good range of electric adjustment (8-way driver; 4-way passenger) as well as powered lumbar for both front seats that, combined with very good headroom (a full fist of it even with the driver's seat electrically raised), decent shoulder and elbow room, and height-adjustable seatbelts. So just about everyone who travels in the Civic can set their ideal seating position.

Helped by relatively narrow screen pillars, visibility from behind the multifunction, sporty, flat-bottomed wheel is excellent; even over-the-shoulder-views are good. The Civic's low waistline and deep windows mean views out in all directions, from any of the seats, are pretty much unhindered. Adding to the spacious feel on range-topping Advance models is a sizeable, two-panel glass roof — the powered larger front section of which tilts/slides and it comes with a one-shot-op powered 'blackout' sunblind.

The cabin is smartly designed, meticulously put together, and very pleasant to spend time in with plenty of appreciated features — such as the single strip air vent running across the dash that directs the cooled or heated air flow without any disturbing turbulence. The trim materials all look and feel good, the instrumentation and screen graphics are all crisp and clear and inform without any distractions, while the wheel's multifunction controls and the voice commands make for safer driving. Boosting the soothing ambiance is an inner calm, courtesy of some very effective sound insulation — this new hybrid-powertrain Civic is a agreeably quiet car; especially so when covering long mileages. All-in-all, this cabin is exactly what you might expect to find in a far more expensive car.

The comms provide all the essential connectivity via the large central touchscreen, aided by easy and intuitive menus for both infotainment and navigation (with 3D mapping). Plus the digital input keyboard is first-rate. More good news: the dual-zone climate system is operated by a separate panel of dials and switches that all work with slick efficiency.

Wireless charging for your smartphone is also standard (and takes place in the bed immediately ahead of the drive selector panel) as too are wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth hands-free phone op, DAB digital radio, premium audio with 12 Bose speakers, a rearview camera, and eCall 'SOS' buttons in the roof console. Ahead of the driver is a 10.2-inch hi-def digital instrument panel that can show as much, or as little, driving info as you wish.

Something that too many new cars seems to fall down on is in-cabin storage — but not the Civic, which provides plenty of it including a large cubby with a removeable upper tray beneath the wide armrest between the front seats, full-size dual-use siamesed cupholders, a spacious tray at the base of the centre stack served by two USB ports (one charging) and a 12V socket, door bins commodious enough to hold a full-size wine bottle (and deep enough for other stuff too), a drop-down overhead glasses case, and a real-world glovebox.

“You can push this
hybrid through the twisty
bits and raise a grin as
it sticks to your chosen
line. Also coming in
handy is Honda’s
‘Winding Road Detection’
feature which ensures
petrol engine operation
is maintained whilst
cornering on winding
roads, thereby reducing
lag on acceleration.
Or you can use the
regenerative braking-
deceleration control
paddles on the steering
wheel for effective
‘engine braking’ to
maintain the sweet spot
of the Civic’s rhythm as
you punt it through...”

Go for the range-topping Advance trim and you'll get all the kit you can handle. In addition to the comms stuff already mentioned you get keyless entry and Start, synthetic black leather upholstery, three-stage heated front seats, heated steering wheel rim, two-zone automatic climate control, reversing camera supported by front and rear parking sensors, panoramic glass roof, tinted front and side glass plus rear privacy glass, powerfolding heated door mirrors (on demand and automatically when leaving), four one-shot power windows, auto-dimming rearview mirror, electric parking brake with autohold function, ally pedals, and a set of 18-inch two-tone black and diamond-cut alloy wheels.

Safety is seriously well specced too with Honda's comprehensive 'Sensing' features that include eleven airbags along with a Collision Mitigation Braking System that's vehicle, pedestrian and cyclist aware, Road Departure Mitigation System, Intelligent Speed Limiter (automatically sets the speed limit as detected by the Traffic Sign Recognition System), Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Following (maintains a constant speed and a set following interval behind the vehicle in front; if needed it will also decelerate and stop the car autonomously), and Traffic Jam Assist (this reduces the driver's workload in low-speed, congested traffic by steering to keep the vehicle in its lane).

Plus there are also adaptive LED headlights, automatic dip/main beam-switching, a headlight wash/wipe system, auto lights and wipes, LED daytime running lights, LED front fogs, LED rear lights, Blind Spot Information, Cross Traffic Monitoring, Vehicle Stability Assist, tyre deflation warning, and Hill Start Assist.

Those travelling in the Civic's back seats have it made courtesy of this latest version's longer wheelbase that guarantees plenty of room for feet, knees, legs, and heads for two adults sharing the wide back cabin; and, like the front, the also rear welcomes six-footers. Note that three side-by-side is equally easily doable).

And there's plenty of features to make your passengers feel right at home, from comfy backrest angles and a well-padded drop-down centre armrest with twin built-in cupholders, commodious front seatback pouches, two charging USB ports, central climate system air vents, and deep bottle-holding door bins. To that you can also add fine views out through the long side windows and an airy interior vibe courtesy of the glass roof's rearmost section extending back above the rear seating area.

The Civic's stiffer new platform is good news both for the handling and the ride. Combined with assured damping, it enables the Civic to keep its cool over all tarmac and even sleeping policemen (and let's face it, these days there's a lot of them about!). And that's despite rolling on 18-inch alloys shod with sporty 235/40 Michelin rubber. Not that the nicely pliant ride penalises the roadholding abilities in any way — this latest Civic can assuredly walk the walk and drives beautifully just about everywhere you take it, from back roads to city centre blacktop. It also aces motorways where its quiet and refined character shrinks 250-mile journeys to a stroll in the park.

Thanks to a wider track at the rear, a stance that puts it closer to the road and a lower centre of gravity, plus some positive tweaks to the MacPherson-strut front and independent wishbone rear suspension set-up this new generation Civic feels sharper, grippier, and sportier. Body control is well managed and the well-weighted steering reassuringly accurate, and although this Civic's mission statement is principally 'competent family hatchback', at the same time it serves up a strong performance feel that beguilingly whispers 'drive me'.

“At 4.55 metres nose to
tail, the Civic hybrid
provides plenty of
passenger space yet still
manages to include an
easily accessed 409 litres
of boot capacity with the
rear seats in use.
Fold down both the
60:40-split backrests
and you’ll free up a 1,187-
litre loadbay with a level
and seamless floor.
Need the rear seats for
passenger duty?
No problem: you can
carry 65kg on the roof or
tow a braked 750kg...”

So yes, you can push it through the twisty bits and raise a grin as it sticks to your chosen line. Also coming in handy is Honda's 'Winding Road Detection' feature which ensures petrol engine operation is maintained whilst cornering on winding roads, thereby reducing lag on acceleration. Or you can use the regenerative braking-deceleration control paddles on the steering wheel for effective 'engine braking' to maintain the sweet spot of the Civic's rhythm as you punt it through.

The brakes are confident and dependable; the stopping — all the way down to a complete halt — is nicely modulated which is doubly impressive given their dual-function duties (battery regenerative and regular friction) which in some EVs and hybrids can be rather snatchy. Not so in the Civic in which everything comes together very harmoniously.

And that includes the well-regulated power delivery; press the pedal hard and you'll see 0-62mph done and dusted in a fluent but nonetheless lively 8.1 seconds. As is the norm these days, driver-selectable drive programs are available at the flick of a switch — the Civic offers four: Normal (automatic switching between powertrain modes to achieve the most effective balance of efficiency with performance); Sport, which as its name promises, palpably sharpens up the performance; Eco, to maximise economy; and Individual to tailor the drivetrain and steering to suit your personal preferences. Incidentally, P, R, N, and D are selected via the foolproof individual pushbuttons on the centre console.

The Civic's hybrid powertrain delivers the power in one of three ways. First, there's Hybrid mode, where the electrical generator directly powers the main electric motor; next is EV, where the main electric motor takes its power from the battery, temporarily making the Civic a pure electric vehicle; and lastly there's Engine Drive — while the system's electronic 'brain' chooses to use electricity whenever it can, the petrol engine contributes during high demand / high speed situations which is why you'll find effective reserves of power when cruising motorways.

In everyday driving, pull-aways are slick and silent using electric power; thereafter, whenever strong urge is needed, it fires up the petrol engine. What all this adds up to in fuel economy terms is an official combined figure of 56.5mpg. Impressively, and without any attempt to drive economically, we averaged 55.7mpg during our road-test week.

At 4.55 metres nose to tail, the Civic hybrid provides plenty of passenger space yet still manages to include an easily accessed 404 litres of boot capacity with the rear seats in use (plus there's a handy 5-litre underfloor luggage box). Fold down both the 60:40-split backrests and you'll free up a 1,187-litre loadbay (814 litres if you only load to the window line) with a level and seamless floor. If the rear seats are needed for passenger duty you can carry 65kg on the roof — or tow a braked 750kg.

As important as the new Honda Civic hybrid's green credentials are, its refined character, uber-practical hatchback usability, and genuinely good real-world economy are all equally critical 'box-tickers' for potential owners. Good looking and so refined, and very much more than the sum of its parts, this very nice to drive and very nice to look at, built-in-Japan hybrid hatchback makes a genuine and refreshing alternative to any of its pan-European rivals. ~ MotorBar

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