In This Story
Financial system vehicles are usually not precisely identified for being enthralling driving machines. For probably the most half, they’re meant to convey you from level A to level B as effectively and with as little fuss as potential. However, typically an economic system automobile generally is a entire lot greater than that. Enter the 2025 Honda Civic Hatchback Hybrid.
Honda determined to put 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 may be one of the best NPC-mobile your hard-earned cash should purchase. Really, 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 may win over nearly anybody — together with lovers who look to the Si because the budget-focused enjoyable possibility.
Full Disclosure: Honda flew me right down to Nashville, put me up in a swanky resort and handled me to every part the Music Metropolis needed to supply, all so I may drive the Civic Hatchback Hybrid.
I’ve pushed a hell of loads of hybrids in any respect totally different worth factors from all kinds of producers, and I’ve gotta say, the Civic’s is nearly one of the best within the biz with regards to slick operation and actually stable effectivity. What we’ve obtained 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 collection 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 very robust 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 bundle makes for a very peppy driving expertise whereas nonetheless returning improbable gasoline economic 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 via the backroads exterior of Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve little doubt that in the event 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 simply gained’t wish to drive it like a boring commuter automobile. 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 street 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 technique to management the “transmission,” however it does make faux shifts pretty much as good as any CVT I’ve pushed. Truthfully, it feels loads like a very well-tuned computerized with actual gears. Driving the Civic onerous isn’t precisely horrible for gasoline economic system, both. There’s selectable regenerative braking with 4 modes managed by paddle shifters, and once you put the automobile 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 fully recharge the automobile’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 automobile. 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 embrace new 18-inch wheels, black window trim, black aspect mirrors, and physique shade trim for the grille encompass, entrance spoiler and again bumper insert. The automobile is inconspicuous, for positive, however it’s nonetheless extraordinarily good-looking. In the event you ask me, it’s the best-looking of all of the compact vehicles you should buy proper now.
Inside it’s an identical story to the surface. Not an excessive amount of has modified, however the updates actually do make a distinction within the general bundle. 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 principally each in-car characteristic you may hope for, together with a brand new 10.2-inch totally digital gauge cluster and a 9-inch infotainment display (each of that are tremendous straightforward to make use of and have a slick operation), improbable 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, in fact, wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
What extra may you really need from a automobile that prices greater than $17,000 lower than the typical new automobile? You’ll be hard-pressed to search out one other sub-$40,000 automobile with a nicer inside. It’s simply laid out so rattling properly, every part is precisely the place you count on it to be.
There are not any gimmicks contained in the Civic, and that’s factor. Construct high quality can be actually good for such an inexpensive automobile. There are many nicer-than-the-price-would-suggest supplies, particularly on high-traffic touchpoints. The within of this automobile provides loads of higher-end autos 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 prepared to pay the additional cash for the hatch, I actually recommend you do. Overlook the appears 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 automobile 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 can 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 vehicles.
Proper now, hybrids are extra widespread than ever, so it is smart for Honda to convey this automobile to the market. There’s stiff competitors on the market from the likes of Kia, Hyundai and Toyota. Vehicles 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 comparable costs, there’s simply no beating the Civic’s improbable 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. Nonetheless, after spending a day with Honda’s little hybrid, I’ve obtained 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 obtained a sense it’s going to win over the hearts and minds not solely of parents who need stable efficiency however individuals who might have been 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 might have reset the benchmark for economic system vehicles in all places.
