In This Story
Financial system vehicles usually are not precisely identified for being enthralling driving machines. For essentially the most half, they’re meant to convey you from level A to level B as effectively and with as little fuss as doable. However, typically an financial system automobile generally is a entire lot greater than that. Enter the 2025 Honda Civic Hatchback Hybrid.
Honda determined to put its good 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 perfect NPC-mobile your hard-earned cash can purchase. Really, 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 lovers 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 resort 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 totally different value factors from all types of producers, and I’ve gotta say, the Civic’s is nearly the perfect within the biz in the case of slick operation and actually strong effectivity. What we’ve received right here is Honda’s “Two-Motor” hybrid system that makes it essentially the most highly effective non–Kind 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, 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 accessible 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 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 simply received’t wish to drive it like a boring commuter automobile. Like all Civics, it’s a wonderful handler. Certain, 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 wonderful, as you will have anticipated from the engineers at Honda.
There’s no actual solution to management the “transmission,” however it does make faux shifts nearly as good as any CVT I’ve pushed. Truthfully, it feels rather a lot like a very well-tuned computerized with actual gears. Driving the Civic onerous 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 automobile 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 in a position to virtually 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 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 automobile is discreet, for certain, 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 purchase 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 total bundle. 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. In your cash, the Sport Touring Hybrid has mainly each in-car function you possibly can hope for, together with a brand new 10.2-inch absolutely digital gauge cluster and a 9-inch infotainment display (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 knowledge plan (solely accessible 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 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, all the things is strictly the place you anticipate it to be.
There are not any gimmicks contained in the Civic, and that’s a very good 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 numerous higher-end automobiles an actual run for his or her cash.
Honda is launching the Civic Hybrid in each Hatchback and Sedan varieties, and when you’re prepared to pay the additional cash for the hatch, I actually counsel you do. Neglect the seems to be and all of that great things, the hatch merely has extra room on the within on 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 numerous 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 vehicles.
Proper now, hybrids are extra widespread than ever, so it is sensible 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 incredible mixture of seems to be, efficiency and practicality.
Once 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 received to say it received me over in an enormous method. 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 strong efficiency however individuals who might have been taking a look at a crossover. To be sincere, the Civic Hatchback Hybrid is so compelling, I can’t consider a motive you’d select an much more NPC-like compact crossover over it. It simply might have reset the benchmark for financial system vehicles all over the place.
