The Honda Civic is one of the oldest cars in the world. In its almost five decades of life many things have changed, but it is still there. A new edition reaches the markets, the eleventh. We have already tried it.
Next year the Honda Civic celebrates its silver anniversary. 10 decades dancing through all the continents of the world like a pile that never ends. The Japanese compact has been changing to the rhythm of society, introducing novelties and improvements in each of its already 11 generations. In 2022 the new version of the Honda Civic is introduced, changed from head to toe. Once the question is the same: will it be the Civic that we deserve?
Looking back, it is easy to discover that there have been great generations of the Japanese Honda model. Possibly the most famous are the fourth, the fifth and the sixth, between the years 1987 and 2000. The truth is that since the entry into service of the new millennium the world and the automotive industry have changed a lot. Sustainability, savings and electrification set the tone for markets in need of environmental labels.
The first and most noticeable thing that jumps out at you is the design change on the new Civic. With a stroke of the pen, and in a radical turn of events, the Honda Civic loses its classic bold lines. to fall into the arms of sobriety and conservatism. It seems that the design has been carried out by a German. Although it maintains sharp lines of tension, such as the belt line, in general it does not transmit the same aggressiveness as the previous generation.
There will be those who prefer it and those who do not, but it is clear that it is different. OROnce again the Civic knows how to adapt to the times, and although it has avoided becoming an SUV, like many other models of the time that have succumbed, the appearance is far from those generations that became famous for their extreme modifications and their sportiness without fanfare. What has been maintained from the previous generation to this is the exaggerated size to be a compact.
Overcoming the 4.5-meter barrier, saying that we are dealing with a compact can offend some sensitivities, but we must bear in mind that the limits of the segments have also grown over time. Before it would be considered an average sedan, but not anymore. All dimensions grow with respect to the previous generation, including the wheelbase that is now 35 millimeters longer.
That translates into better space for the occupants. Thanks to a larger glazed area, the feeling of spaciousness is very generous. The rear seats have more than enough space for passengers up to 1.8 meters tall.. Although the homologation allows you to include up to five adults, it is best not to exceed four since a third will reduce the comfort of all occupants. Something that we already realized in a first contact with the new Honda Civic.
Obviously it is best to travel in the front seats, where passengers will enjoy more space, better visibility and, above all, more technological goodies. Equipment breaks record, and the 11th edition of the Honda Civic establishes itself as the most advanced and the best quality to date. The equipment will be distributed in several levels or packages with which we will be able to configure a car according to our needs, tastes or styles.
In the list of equipment, elements such as: LED headlights, keyless entry and start, digital instrumentation with 10.2-inch LCD screen, charging and wireless connectivity for smartphones, parking cameras, automatic climate control, Bose sound system with 12 speakers and a wide range of driving assistants and safety elements collected by the Honda Sensing program. Almost all of these functionalities are managed from one multimedia screen with 9 inches in size.
While there is plenty of gear to choose from, there are few mechanical options to get your hands on. The Honda Civic, as the environmental canons dictate, It will only be available in hybrid format with Honda’s particular e:HEV technology.. It uses an Atkinson cycle direct injection gasoline engine with two liters of displacement. This main block is connected to two electric motors, where one of them acts as a gearbox.
To complete the scheme, a lithium-ion battery with 72 cells and 1.05 kWh capacity (larger than the one used by other hybrid models of the house) is added. The total power of the set is 184 horsepower with a torque of 315 Nm.. All the force goes to the front axle, and although its performance figures are not exceptional, the approved consumption announces an average cost of 4.7 liters per 100 kilometers. The great attraction for the new generation of buyers.
Behind the wheel of the 2022 Honda Civic
I have to admit that the last Honda hybrid I had tried was the Honda HR-V, which I recognize a great saving effort. In principle the hybrid system is the same, although with a larger thermal engine that represents a radical change with respect to the 1.5 of the SUV. There are many good things that can be said about the Civic, but without a doubt I’ll stick with its behavior.
Although it is a hybrid, something “different” from what we usually see in Toyota, it does not seem so. And that is a very positive thing. Many people when driving their first hybrid are shocked by the noise of the gasoline engine at high revolutions despite driving at a normal pace. That is, possibly, one of the less positive aspects of hybridization, but in the Civic that feeling is much more hidden. Doesn’t look like a hybrid.
The first thing is that the response is more forceful than usual in an HEV car. The maximum performance figures are those provided by the front electric motor in charge of moving the wheels, and that means that the delivery is immediate and quite forceful. The Civic e:HEV does not have a hard time gaining speed, acceleration is very progressive and naturalin fact you gain speed without realizing it as it has greatly improved its poise by being longer, wider and lower.
It must be recognized that by the measures the Civic is more than a compact. Flirting with the D-segment, poise and ride comfort are more typical of a higher segment. As I said, the speed is barely noticeable because noise is hardly transmitted to the passenger compartment, something else inappropriate for a hybrid, and that the crystals are not particularly thick. When accelerating hard, the engine revs, but it does not cause that feeling of rejection of other hybrids.
In Sport mode, the engine noise is amplified in the cabin in a very natural and sporty way.
I liked that although the acceleration is always constant, the car simulates a small jump between gears, which in reality does not exist. The second electric motor acts as a gearbox and although it does not have transitions it simulates it to give the occupants that feeling of push. It is very successful and helps to generate that feeling of not driving a normal hybrid (I never get tired of repeating the same thing, I know).
The new Civic is stiffer, 20% more, thanks to the use of new materials and manufacturing methods. It shows, but not as much as expected from the figure since the suspension is somewhat soft, completely logical considering the approach of the car. For harshness and madness, the Honda Civic Type R will soon make an appearance, which has already been seen at some point in its testing stage. As they have been saying, the Civic is stiffer, but what is most noticeable is the chassis.
That chassis is ready for something more, much more. The Type R will have to push the possibilities of that increased stiffness to the extreme, and if the e:HEV moves as it does, one can only hope that the sports car is at least as good as the current one. Of course, if we want to save we will have to get the gauntlet to this one. Replacing the old 1.5 VTEC in the 10th generation Civic was no easy task. One of the best gasoline engines of its time deserved a hybrid replacement that was at least no worse, and Honda has done it.
And it has done so with a very similar behavior, but with significant savings. It does not become the previous diesel version, but it is not very far away. The homologation reveals a cost of 4.7 liters per 100 kilometers, and although during the presentation at no time was maximum efficiency sought, it must be said that after 155 kilometers of route through the mountains of Madrid the final consumption of the on-board computer was 5.3 liters. I have no doubt that in a quieter driving, seeking the maximum effectiveness of the system, consumption equal to or less than that approved can be achieved.
Where is the snag? Well, the truth is that I cannot tell you about any serious defect of the car. The driving modes don’t do much, but they’re there. The regeneration modes help, although it is so efficient that they are almost essential. The loss of aggressiveness in the design and the few customization options are what have convinced me the least, but for everything else I declare my pleasant surprise. The new Honda Civic deserves to be tested to verify that, despite being a hybrid, it does not behave as such. Whoever tries it will see it and possibly buy it.
I am afraid that the key to the success and popularity of the new Civic will depend on the price. Honda proposes three levels of equipment: Elegance, Sport and Advance. With a very complete series endowment, the price offer is most attractive. The new Honda Civic starts its sale in Spain with a starting price of 32,100 euros, without offers or promotions (Elegance finish). That same price can be applied to the Sport finish, although in that case it is taking advantage of some other promotion. Dealers will open the order book on July 1, making the first deliveries around summer.
Conclusions
Once again, and now 11, the Honda Civic adapts to the times. The not-so-compact compact manages to evolve to show more technology, a little more space and a very surprising mechanical range. The non-hybrid hybrid that manages to stand out in many aspects such as behavior and consumption. The first impressions have been so positive that it could be considered the best hybrid of the moment for its driving. Under that somewhat bland appearance hides a very well-made car from which few faults can be drawn.