The Honda Civic has one of the world’s longest-lived automotive nameplates. It was first launched way back in 1972, so came to market before even well-known rivals such as the Volkswagen Golf. Honda has since sold more than 27 million Honda Civics worldwide.
This Civic was new in 2022 and, remarkably, is the 11th generation of Honda Civic. Completely rethought for a global audience, it has streamlined styling and a full hybrid engine forms the core of the range. It remains one of the best hatchbacks around and now one of the best hybrid cars for used buyers.
Rivals to the Honda Civic include the Toyota Corolla - also a hybrid - the practical Skoda Octavia and the ever popular Ford Focus. Take a look at a Honda Civic for sale on heycar to discover just what’s on offer.
This generation of Honda Civic, with its e:HEV hybrid engine tech, looks clean and minimalist, echoing the carefully-crafted design of models such as the Honda e and stylish HR-V. It’s a handsome hatchback.
The range is simple too, with just a single 2.0-litre full hybrid engine, plus three trim lines across a single five-door hatchback body style. Compared to the old Honda Civic, it's longer overall but has a shorter rear overhang and is lower too. This gives it a sleeker, sportier appearance. Honda also moved the base of the windscreen rearwards, again helping to balance the design.
There were big changes inside as well. A longstanding Honda criticism, its dated infotainment system, was resolved here. Now using a 9.0-inch touchscreen, the Honda Connect tech is right on the pace and well supported by Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. There’s even a fully-customisable digital instrument display in the top-spec Advance grade. Interior quality has been lifted to suit.
Practicality wasn’t forgotten, either. Rear legroom was improved and the boot has a generous 410-litre capacity – bigger than a Volkswagen Golf. Even though the boot in the Advance version is a little smaller, due to its premium audio system, it still beats the VW.
Honda achieved an excellent five-star crash-test score with this Civic. It has more airbags than ever, including a novel centre airbag, plus the Honda Sensing suite of active safety tech. Even the design of the windows was tailored to improve the view out.
With the ultra-efficient 2.0-litre hybrid petrol engine serving up low CO2 emissions and great real-world fuel economy – plus swift performance, with 0-62mph in less than 8.0 seconds – the Honda Civic is a sound used choice for those looking to future-proof their motoring.
A car with a huge amount of heritage, the Honda Civic is popular the world over. This model offers the latest in affordable and efficient hybrid engine tech, packaged in a supremely practical and family-friendly body.
With real advances in infotainment tech, safety, driving dynamics and overall design, the Honda Civic is once again a competitive family hatch. If you’re considering a Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus or Toyota Corolla, it’s certainly a model you should shortlist.
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In terms of engine you won't be laying awake at night worrying about the choice, because there's only one. Happily it's a good all-rounder, offering enough performance to suit the majority of buyers' needs, strong real-world efficiency and the ability to roll around town at low speeds on electric-only power.
The entry-level Elegance trim offers plenty of kit as standard, whereas Sport trim is a bit more visually arresting. Fully-loaded Advance trim is for those who simply must have all the gear.
This Honda Civic went pure hybrid for the mainstream model range: the tech is called e:HEV’ All models come with a CVT automatic transmission. A high-performance 2.0-litre Honda Type R is also available, with a decidedly un-hybridised engine and a six-speed manual gearbox. Here are the engine options available with the Honda Civic.
Honda Civic 2.0 I-MMD hybrid petrol: The Honda Civic’s 2.0-litre petrol engine uses direct injection and the ultra-efficient Atkinson cycle. It’s paired with an electric motor to produce a total of 184PS, for 0-62mph in 7.8 seconds (7.9 seconds for the Sport and 8.1 seconds for the Advance). Average economy of up to 60.1mpg is possible, along with CO2 emissions from 106g/km.
If you want a much broader choice of Honda Civics, you need to look to the previous-generation model. In contrast to this hybrid-only car, the earlier Civic not only offered turbocharged petrol engines (either 1.0-litre or 1.5-litre), there was a diesel option and the high-performance Honda Civic Type R. The latter is a bit of a cult car, with several collectable versions later in its life.
Honda has kept things clear and straightforward with the latest Honda Civic line-up. There are three models and each trim level offers a very comprehensive spec. You can get a sportier-looking version or a plusher derivative with leather upholstery.
The Honda Civic Elegance shows there’s no such thing as a base-spec Honda Civic, coming with touchscreen sat-nav, climate control air-con and heated front seats.
The Honda Civic Sport has larger 18-inch alloy wheels and a ‘black pack’ makeover. We also like the moody interior colour scheme and sporty metal pedals.
The Honda Civic Advance is the most upmarket version, with a panoramic glass roof, leather upholstery and a premium Bose sound system. There’s also an enlarged digital driver display.
The Honda Civic’s exterior dimensions are:
Length: 4551mm
Width: 1802mm
Height: 1408mm
Ground clearance: 128mm
The Honda Civic’s boot space is:
410 litres (Advance: 404 litres)
1220 litres with rear seats folded (Advance: 1187 litres)
Given this Honda Civic comes with a petrol-electric hybrid engine in all but the Type R model, used buyers might feel a little aggrieved they pay the same £180 annual road tax fee as buyers of the high performance version. Them's the breaks, unfortunately, even if the standard Civic emits between 108- and 114g/km of carbon dioxide emissions depending on trim level. The Type R, on the other hand, kicks out 189g/km.
All Honda Civic models have a group 28 (out of 50) insurance rating, except the hot Type R that sits in group 43. Insurance may cost more than you expect, though, for the standard models as group 28 is rather higher than the family hatchback norm. That’s despite the Honda having the latest security and accident-avoidance tech.