In This Story
Financial system automobiles aren’t precisely identified for being enthralling driving machines. For probably the most half, they’re meant to deliver you from level A to level B as effectively and with as little fuss as doable. However, generally an financial system automotive generally is a complete lot greater than that. Enter the 2025 Honda Civic Hatchback Hybrid.
Honda determined to position its sensible little dual-motor hybrid system from the Accord and CR-V into the Civic Hatchback and Sedan for the 2025 mannequin year, and the result’s a car that simply could be the very best NPC-mobile your hard-earned cash should buy. Truly, the Civic Hybrid is so fantastic it has damaged freed from the NPC allegations. What Honda has here’s a handsome, sensible, economical, well-equipped hybrid that may win over nearly anybody — together with fanatics who look to the Si because the budget-focused enjoyable possibility.
Full Disclosure: Honda flew me all the way down to Nashville, put me up in a swanky lodge and handled me to all the things the Music Metropolis needed to provide, all so I may drive the Civic Hatchback Hybrid.
I’ve pushed a hell of loads of hybrids in any respect completely different value factors from all types of producers, and I’ve gotta say, the Civic’s is nearly the very best within the biz with regards to slick operation and actually stable effectivity. What we’ve received right here is Honda’s “Two-Motor” hybrid system that makes it probably the most highly effective non–Sort R Civic ever made. The naturally 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle inline-4 is connected to a two-motor sequence hybrid system. There’s no actual transmission, regardless that Honda says it has an “eCVT.” This little energy unit produces a complete of 200 horsepower (the identical because the Civic Si) and a extremely sturdy 232 pound-feet of torque that’s out there from 0 RPM. By itself, the fuel motor makes 141 horsepower, and the AC Synchronous Everlasting-Magnet Electrical Motor makes 181 horsepower.
The entire package deal makes for a extremely peppy driving expertise whereas nonetheless returning incredible gasoline financial system. Honda says the Civic Hatchback Hybrid will get 50 mpg metropolis, 45 mpg freeway and 48 mpg mixed. Granted, I couldn’t obtain these numbers on my 45-mile take a look at loop, however I used to be driving like a goofy goober by means of the backroads outdoors of Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve little doubt that when you drive this factor extra gently in Financial system mode you’ll hit these marketed numbers after which some.
The issue is that the Civic Hatchback Hybrid is so goddamn enjoyable to drive that you just gained’t wish to drive it like a boring commuter automotive. Like all Civics, it’s a superb handler. Positive, it weighs a bit greater than the Civic Si — Honda says it’s someplace within the 3,400 pound-range — however the returned suspension, a 0.4-inch-lower middle of gravity and wholesome energy figures means you possibly can have enjoyable when the highway will get twisty. The Hybrid’s steering really feel can be glorious, as you will have anticipated from the engineers at Honda.
There’s no actual option to management the “transmission,” nevertheless it does make pretend shifts nearly as good as any CVT I’ve pushed. Truthfully, it feels loads like a extremely well-tuned computerized with actual gears. Driving the Civic laborious isn’t precisely horrible for gasoline financial system, both. There’s selectable regenerative braking with 4 modes managed by paddle shifters, and once you put the automotive in Sport mode, the regen degree you chose will keep the place you left it (it defaults to 0 regen in Regular and Econ mode). I used to be in a position to nearly utterly recharge the automotive’s battery utilizing regenerative braking whereas in Sport mode, which was fairly neat to see. The Sport Touring trims additionally get an Particular person drive mode that permits you to customise your drive setting.
Like all Eleventh-gen Civics, the Hybrid Hatchback is a great-looking automotive. Not an excessive amount of has modified on the surface, however for 2025 the Civic will get a extra aggressive grille and entrance fascia, borrowing from the Civic Si. The Hybrid additionally loses the tailpipes out again for a extra eco-conscious look. Different minor tweaks embody new 18-inch wheels, black window trim, black facet mirrors, and physique shade trim for the grille encompass, entrance spoiler and again bumper insert. The automotive is unassuming, for positive, nevertheless it’s nonetheless extraordinarily good-looking. When you ask me, it’s the best-looking of all of the compact automobiles you should purchase proper now.
Inside it’s the same story to the surface. Not an excessive amount of has modified, however the updates actually do make a distinction within the total package deal. I drove a completely loaded Sport Touring Hybrid with a $34,500 as-tested value; the bottom Sport Hybrid begins at $31,045, together with vacation spot. On your cash, the Sport Touring Hybrid has principally each in-car characteristic you might hope for, together with a brand new 10.2-inch absolutely digital gauge cluster and a 9-inch infotainment display screen (each of that are tremendous straightforward to make use of and have a slick operation), incredible adaptive cruise management and lane-keeping help (amongst a slew of different Honda Sensing security options), dual-zone local weather management, heated entrance seats, two USB-C ports up entrance, Google Constructed-In with a 3-year information plan (solely out there on Sport Touring), a 12-speaker Bose audio system, leather-based seats, a sunroof and, after all, wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
What extra may you really need from a automotive that prices greater than $17,000 lower than the common new automotive? You’ll be hard-pressed to search out one other sub-$40,000 automotive with a nicer inside. It’s simply laid out so rattling nicely, all the things is strictly the place you count on it to be.
There are not any gimmicks contained in the Civic, and that’s a great factor. Construct high quality can be actually good for such an affordable automotive. There are many nicer-than-the-price-would-suggest supplies, particularly on high-traffic touchpoints. The within of this automotive offers loads of higher-end automobiles an actual run for his or her cash.
Honda is launching the Civic Hybrid in each Hatchback and Sedan types, and when you’re prepared to pay the additional cash for the hatch, I actually recommend you do. Neglect the appears to be like and all of that good things, the hatch merely has extra room on the within to your stuff and your issues. Honda says this little automotive has 99 cubic ft of passenger quantity and 24.5 cubic ft of rear cargo room. That’s on par with loads of smaller crossovers. Rear-seat passengers may also be handled to 37.1 inches of headroom and 37.4 inches of legroom, each the identical because the Civic sedan. At 6-foot-1, I may pretty comfortably sit behind my very own driving place. That’s not one thing I can do in lots of similar-sized automobiles.
Proper now, hybrids are extra standard than ever, so it is sensible for Honda to deliver this automotive to the market. There’s stiff competitors on the market from the likes of Kia, Hyundai and Toyota. Automobiles just like the Prius and Corolla Hybrid are each compelling packages, however they fall wanting the brand new benchmark the Civic Hatchback Hybrid has set. For related costs, there’s simply no beating the Civic’s incredible mixture of appears to be like, efficiency and practicality.
Once I was first assigned this journey, I used to be largely excited to drive the 2025 Civic Si. Nevertheless, after spending a day with Honda’s little hybrid, I’ve received to say it gained me over in an enormous approach. Regardless of its economy-focused underpinnings, this Civic is an actual performer, and I’ve received a sense it’s going to win over the hearts and minds not solely of parents who need stable efficiency however individuals who could have been taking a look at a crossover. To be sincere, the Civic Hatchback Hybrid is so compelling, I can’t consider a cause you’d select an much more NPC-like compact crossover over it. It simply could have reset the benchmark for financial system automobiles all over the place.
