Honda’s new Civic hybrid will hit showrooms next month with pricing that puts it firmly in premium territory.
The hybrid hatchback is the second Civic variant to go on sale since the late 2021 launch of the petrol-powered VTi-LX.
Available in one model grade, the Civic e:HEV LX is priced at $55,000 drive-away, which is $7800 dearer than the petrol VTi-LX.
It’s also about $20,000 more than the on-road price of the cheapest Toyota Corolla hybrid hatch, the Ascent Sport hybrid, which costs $30,630 before on-road costs.
The Civic now sits among premium small hatch offerings like the BMW 118i ($49,900 BOC), Audi A3 40 TFSI ($53,500) and the recently launched Cupra Leon VZ ($52,990).
However, Honda has added more equipment to the hybrid over and above what’s offered in the petrol VTi-LX. Honda was criticised for leaving some equipment out of the Civic VTi-LX when it launched, given its $47,200 drive-away price tag.
That extra gear includes a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, panoramic sunroof, heated steering wheel, rear USB outlets, leather-appointed seats, eight-way heated and power adjustable driver’s seat, four-way heated and power adjustable passenger seat, auto up and down power windows, ambient lighting and more.
The hybrid powertrain combines a lithium-ion battery with two electric motors and a 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle petrol engine, driving the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
This ensures outputs of 135kW of power and 315Nm of torque, which is more than the 131kW/240Nm of the turbocharged petrol VTi-LX, and more than 103kW/142Nm of Toyota’s updated Corolla hybrid.
As expected, the hybrid Civic sips less fuel than the petrol model, with a figure of 4.2 litres per 100 kilometres edging the VTi-LX’s 6.3L. The 4.2L figure matches the Corolla hybrid hatch’s figure.
Honda has also upped the safety offering for the e:HEV LX, which gains a front centre airbag, rear side airbag, traffic sign recognition and intelligent speed limiter.
The hybrid introduces the latest version of Honda Sensing suite of driver assist and safety features, using a new 100-degree front wide-view camera to better identify road lines, pedestrians, bikes, motorcycles and other vehicles.
Another first is the introduction of the Honda Connect app that lets Civic owners access vehicle information, and do things remotely like lock and unlock the car or adjust the climate control. It also has a location finder and can contact emergency services in case of an accident.
The hybrid pricing follows this week’s announcement about Civic Type R pricing. The hot hatch will hit dealerships early next year from $72,600 drive-away.
Keyword: Honda Civic hybrid gets premium pricing and Corolla-matching fuel economy