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Honda says the hatch is back. And that makes architectural and interior designer Kirsten Dow-Pearce a happy driver. The Calgarian often hauls samples around as part of her job, and she has always preferred a hatchback over a sedan. She recently put a 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback Sport Touring through its paces, and she used one word to summarize her impression of the car: Fun.
“But that was with the six-speed manual transmission,” Dow-Pearce says. “If it was equipped with the CVT, I don’t know that my answer would be the same.”
Honda launched its 11th generation Civic in mid-2021 in sedan and hatchback models. In Canada, the front-wheel drive Civic Hatchback is available in three trims, from LX to Sport Touring. The LX is powered by a 2.0-litre DOHC four-cylinder, while the Sport and Sport Touring get a 1.5L DOHC turbocharged engine that makes 180 horsepower and 177 lbs.-ft of torque.
As Dow-Pearce has noted, the car comes equipped with either a 6-speed manual or a CVT transmission – base price of $35,000 is the same regardless of gearbox choice. Her tester was finished in the $300 Boost Blue paint with black leather interior and had the $534 all-season protection package with deep floor mats, cargo tray and rear splash guards.
Kirsten behind the wheel of a 2022 Honda Civic Sport. CREDIT: Brendan Miller/Postmedia Photo by Brendan Miller/Postmedia
“The long front end makes it look sportier or sexier,” Dow-Pearce said of her first impression. “I liked how the front of the hood sloped down to the front, and then had a hard vertical edge – it looked like it had been chopped off, but it was a good look. Although the rear end seemed truncated, the placement of the wheels and wheel arches balanced the car out.”
Getting into the car, five-foot seven-inch tall Dow-Pearce says she had to get used to finding her way down into the lower driver’s seat. It offered plenty of bolstering, but she says it didn’t have much lumbar support. This caused her to slouch down in the seat, but overall, she did not find it uncomfortable. The steering wheel was of decent proportions, but Dow-Pearce did not like the bulbous appearance of the central airbag/horn push.
“Under the navigation screen, there’s a linear honeycomb-styled strip covering the heat vents that runs the entire width of the cockpit—I like it. A very graphic design tactic,” Dow-Pearce explains. “That encompassed the air vents, and the positioning toggles were right there. Overall, the cabin looked sleek and well-designed.”
Instruments themselves were displayed in a 10.2-inch LCD panel with analogue-style sweeping needles. Speedometer is on the right and tachometer on the left and these were easy to monitor when driving. Upholstered in black leather, the Sport Touring “looked high-end,” Dow-Pearce says, and adds, “but the sunroof cover was flimsy.”
Currently, Dow-Pearce pilots a 2016 Volvo XC60. Her first car was a 1982 Volkswagen Rabbit with manual transmission. She enjoyed shifting gears herself, and her next car, a Honda Prelude and then a 2004 Audi A4, also had standard shift gearboxes. The Volvo, however, is an automatic. That the Civic Hatchback had a clutch pedal simply elevated her driving experience.
“This car had really great performance,” she says. “If I wanted to overtake, there was enough pep to get going, and I was able to match revs on the downshifts – it was very easy to drive with a nice, tight shift pattern with short throws.”
Kirsten behind the wheel of a 2022 Honda Civic Sport. Photo by Brendan Miller/Postmedia
The 2022 Honda Civic Sport. Photo by Brendan Miller/Postmedia
The 2022 Honda Civic Sport. Photo by Brendan Miller/Postmedia
Kirsten behind the wheel of a 2022 Honda Civic Sport. Photo by Brendan Miller/Postmedia
The 2022 Honda Civic Sport. Photo by Brendan Miller/Postmedia
The 2022 Honda Civic Sport. Photo by Brendan Miller/Postmedia
Kirsten loved the old-school manual shifter. Photo by Brendan Miller/Postmedia
For the most part, Dow-Pearce drove in regular mode, but she did experiment with the Econ mode button. Econ mode, when engaged, should help improve fuel efficiency by altering accelerator pedal position to actual throttle opening. It also changes how the air conditioning unit operates to further enhance economy.
The Sport Touring, with independent suspension front and rear, offered a pleasant, non-jarring ride. Honda has equipped all Hatchback trims with what it calls Agile Handling Assist, or AHA for short, and Dow-Pearce says her tester handled very nicely. Cornering was always stable, and the car offered a tight turning radius.
As a hatchback fan, Dow-Pearce says accessing the 693-litre cargo area of the Honda was an easy proposition. “It had some heft to it, but it was still easy to raise and get back down,” she says. “I did a full grocery shop while I had the car, and it all fit without a problem.”
She could not find an interior release button for the hatch, which puzzled her. And, when she went to fill it up with regular fuel, she couldn’t locate a gas door release button, either. Looking in the manual, Dow-Pearce discovered that when the driver’s door is unlocked, the fuel filler door is unlocked, too. Simply pressing on the fuel door reveals the capless filling system. She drove some 400 kilometres and reports spending close to $30 to fill the tank. Honda’s fuel economy figures indicate the car should achieve 7.5L/100km city and highway combined. Interior storage capacity for sunglasses, pens, and other items was tight. In fact, Dow-Pearce reported the glove box held the owner’s manual, and that there might be room for a pen in there, ‘but that’s about it.”
At the end of her drive, Dow-Pearce says the Hatchback Sport Touring with manual transmission would suit anyone who enjoys driving and shifting gears for themselves.
“If it was equipped with the CVT, I’m not sure I’d feel the same way about the car,” she says. “But the manual transmission made it a lot of fun to drive.”
The 2022 Honda Civic Sport. Photo by Brendan Miller/Postmedia
The 2022 Honda Civic Sport. Photo by Brendan Miller/Postmedia
The 2022 Honda Civic Sport. Photo by Brendan Miller/Postmedia
The 2022 Honda Civic Sport. Photo by Brendan Miller/Postmedia
The 2022 Honda Civic Sport. Photo by Brendan Miller/Postmedia
DRIVER’S JOURNAL
Day One
Very blue, and I’m happy it has a manual transmission. Car looks aggressive from the front. Cockpit is stylish and straightforward. Dashboard is simple. Has the ‘dish’ style phone charger that you plop your phone into and it is supposed to charge. It does—but I found that the ‘dish’ filled with other stuff I tote around like lip balm, gum, change, etc. Central touch monitor display is intuitive and not annoying.
Day Two
Great seat heaters and heated steering wheel. Loving the sounds of a manual transmission; I feel one with the car and that I am the one in control. Braking in this car is incredibly responsive. They are immediate. No sponginess. I love it.
Day Three
Dark mornings mean dark garage. When you touch any door handle to open things up, the headlights come on. I like this. The BLIS indicators in the side mirrors are accompanied by a little beeping sound, and this gives you an additional warning. It is super easy to see all the way around the car, very few blind spots and you can quickly survey the surroundings. Car seats have a fair amount of adjustment but there is no lumbar support. My son also said that the passenger seat only goes forward and back—no tilt adjustments or raising the height of the seat so that a shorter passenger can see over the hood. Radio volume lowers at red lights. It’s OK but I find it goes a little too low so you if you are listening to an interview or something, you have to turn it up just to turn it down again when getting up to speed.
Kirsten checks out the cargo space in the hatch of the Honda Civic Sport. CREDIT: Brendan Miller/Postmedia Photo by Brendan Miller/Postmedia
Day Four
I’ve discovered idle stop. For some reason this wasn’t clicking in regularly for the first couple of days. And when it did, it felt just like I’d let out the clutch and the engine stalled. But then I discovered that this is supposed to happen. When at a red light (for example) and the clutch is released and you are in neutral the engine cuts. Idle stop. It comes back on when the clutch is depressed. I love it. No more destroying the ozone while standing still. When shutting the car off there’s a little warning symbol that comes on reminding you to check your backseat (so that you don’t forget your sleeping baby in the car seat). Haven’t seen that before.
Day Five
Worked from home so not a lot of driving today but I did have to go out at 4:30 to pick up my son from school downtown, at the exact time we had a huge snow squall coinciding with rush hour. The car was equipped with winter tires and I can honestly say that it handled superbly in the slick conditions. Surprising discovery that when stopped on an uphill, the car does not roll back when engaging the clutch.
Day Six
Back seat is perfunctory; nothing special but there did seem to be enough leg room for me when I gave it a try behind the driver’s seat. Odd little side-pull to cover the residual portion of the hatch contents when the hatch is closed. It seems super flimsy and like it will start falling apart quite quickly. In fact, I think that there is some fraying on the rolled fabric right now. Great connection to the road. Fun, fun, fun!
Day Seven
I opened it up a bit on the highway and it’s smooth, and easy to drive. The engine sounds great.
Keyword: Reader Review: 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback Sport Touring