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Economic system automobiles usually are not 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 attainable. 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 automobile that simply is likely to be the very best NPC-mobile your hard-earned cash should purchase. Truly, the Civic Hybrid is so great it has damaged freed from the NPC allegations. What Honda has here’s a handsome, sensible, economical, well-equipped hybrid that can win over nearly anybody — together with fanatics who look to the Si because the budget-focused enjoyable choice.
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 numerous hybrids in any respect completely different worth factors from all types of producers, and I’ve gotta say, the Civic’s is nearly the very best within the biz relating to slick operation and actually strong effectivity. What we’ve bought 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 attached to a two-motor sequence hybrid system. There’s no actual transmission, despite the fact 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 very robust 232 pound-feet of torque that’s out there from 0 RPM. By itself, the gasoline motor makes 141 horsepower, and the AC Synchronous Everlasting-Magnet Electrical Motor makes 181 horsepower.
The entire package deal makes for a very peppy driving expertise whereas nonetheless returning incredible gas 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 check loop, however I used to be driving like a goofy goober by the backroads exterior of Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve little doubt that in the event you drive this factor extra gently in Economic 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 simply gained’t wish to drive it like a boring commuter automotive. Like all Civics, it’s a wonderful 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 may have enjoyable when the highway will get twisty. The Hybrid’s steering really feel can be glorious, as you’ll have anticipated from the engineers at Honda.
There’s no actual strategy to management the “transmission,” nevertheless it does make pretend shifts pretty much as good as any CVT I’ve pushed. Actually, it feels rather a lot like a very well-tuned automated with actual gears. Driving the Civic laborious isn’t precisely horrible for gas financial system, both. There’s selectable regenerative braking with 4 modes managed by paddle shifters, and if you put the automotive in Sport mode, the regen stage you chose will keep the place you left it (it defaults to 0 regen in Regular and Econ mode). I used to be capable of virtually fully 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 allows 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 skin, 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 aspect mirrors, and physique coloration trim for the grille encompass, entrance spoiler and again bumper insert. The automotive is simple, for certain, nevertheless it’s nonetheless extraordinarily good-looking. In case you ask me, it’s the best-looking of all of the compact automobiles you should purchase proper now.
Inside it’s an identical story to the skin. Not an excessive amount of has modified, however the updates actually do make a distinction within the general package deal. I drove a completely loaded Sport Touring Hybrid with a $34,500 as-tested worth; the bottom Sport Hybrid begins at $31,045, together with vacation spot. On your cash, the Sport Touring Hybrid has mainly each in-car function you might hope for, together with a brand new 10.2-inch totally digital gauge cluster and a 9-inch infotainment display screen (each of that are tremendous simple 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 knowledge plan (solely out there on Sport Touring), a 12-speaker Bose audio system, leather-based seats, a sunroof and, in fact, wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
What extra may you actually need from a automotive that prices greater than $17,000 lower than the typical 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 effectively, all the things is precisely the place you count on it to be.
There aren’t any gimmicks contained in the Civic, and that’s a superb 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 provides numerous higher-end automobiles an actual run for his or her cash.
Honda is launching the Civic Hybrid in each Hatchback and Sedan kinds, and in the event you’re keen to pay the additional cash for the hatch, I actually recommend you do. Neglect the appears and all of that good things, the hatch merely has extra room on the within in your stuff and your issues. Honda says this little automotive has 99 cubic toes of passenger quantity and 24.5 cubic toes of rear cargo room. That’s on par with numerous smaller crossovers. Rear-seat passengers will even 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 well-liked 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 in need of 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, efficiency and practicality.
After I was first assigned this journey, I used to be principally excited to drive the 2025 Civic Si. Nevertheless, after spending a day with Honda’s little hybrid, I’ve bought to say it gained me over in a giant manner. Regardless of its economy-focused underpinnings, this Civic is an actual performer, and I’ve bought a sense it’s going to win over the hearts and minds not solely of oldsters who need strong efficiency however individuals who might have been taking a look at a crossover. To be trustworthy, the Civic Hatchback Hybrid is so compelling, I can’t consider a purpose you’d select an much more NPC-like compact crossover over it. It simply might have reset the benchmark for financial system automobiles in all places.
