New 2022 Honda Civic e:HEV hybrid revealed for Europe
The new Honda Civic will be built in Japan and exported to the UK following the shutdown of the brand’s Swindon factory
The Civic has been around for almost 50 years and for the newest version Honda has decided its popular hatchback will be sold exclusively with hybrid power - that is until the hot Type R version comes along.
Kicking off the range will be the £29,595 Elegance model, featuring 17-inch alloy wheels, fabric seats, front and rear parking sensors and a rear camera. A seven-inch multi-info display binnacle sits ahead of the driver, and an eight speaker, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible, infotainment and sat-nav system also features.
All Honda Civic models will include Honda’s SENSING driver safety systems. These include a 100-degree front wide-view camera, improved recognition technology, lane keep assist, low speed braking control and blind spot information.
Moving up a trim level is the £30,595 Sport. It gains a fabric and synthetic leather combination for the seats, sports pedals, LED fog lights and unique gloss black mirrors with gloss black window surrounds as well as a new design of black 18-inch alloys.
The Advance model starts from £32,995 and for that you get an upgraded, premium 12-speaker BOSE sound system, panoramic sunroof, adaptive headlights and a larger 10.2” display screen. Two-tone black and diamond cut finished 18-inch alloys, leather seats and a heated steering wheel also feature.
The 2022 Civic design is somewhat toned down compared to the outgoing model with no fake vents, fewer slashes and an overall cleaner look. We first saw the new Civic debut in the North American market as a saloon, but in the UK we’ll only get the hatchback model. At the front the hatchback looks similar to the saloon, but the big changes are at the rear with what Honda says is a fast-back design. This results in a much larger boot opening than the saloon courtesy of the hatchback shape.
The estate model was ditched with the 10th generation Civic and it doesn’t look like it will return with the new model. The wheelbase has been extended by 35mm over the tenth-generation hatchback with a wider rear track, too, for greater cornering stability.
The launch of the hybrid Civic means Honda’s European lineup is now fully electrified. The e:HEV name has already been used on the hybrid Jazz, CR-V and HR-V but in the Civic the powertrain will be a newly developed 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle engine. With the 72-cell lithium-ion battery, dual electric motor system and engine combined, the powertrain pumps out at 181bhp and 315Nm of torque with WLTP-rated CO2 emissions at under 110g/km.
The switch to hybrid power means Honda will have a more direct rival to the Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Ioniq.
The Civic has been available as a hybrid in other markets before, but this will be the first time a hybrid Civic hatchback will be made available to UK buyers, discounting the short-lived, standalone Civic Hybrid saloon. It’ll also be the only powertrain option - discounting the upcoming Type R version which we expect will retain the outgoing hot hatch’s 316bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged powertrain.
Driving modes range from Eco, Normal, Sport and Individual which can allow the Civic to switch between fully-electric, hybrid and engine-only power.
Buyers can order the new Civic from July, with Honda announcing that first deliveries will commence in the UK from October this year. Production of the new Civic will take place in Japan, with Honda recently selling the Swindon plant where previous generations have been built.
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