See all Motoring NewsThe Honda Civic is one of the mainstays of the compact family hatchback class and there’s a new one due to launch any day now. The Civic has grown with every generation since it first arrived in 1972, and in the car's 50th anniversary year, the eleventh-generation model is the biggest yet. It's longer and wider than the previous car, and there's more length in the wheelbase, too, so it should offer plenty of passenger space. However, the Civic is lower overall, so it has a sportier profile than its predecessor.
One of the big changes with the latest Civic is the arrival of hybrid drive to the range. The mainstream line-up will be hybrid only, with a development of the firm's e:HEV powertrain already seen in the Jazz and HR-V. The system still comprises a petrol engine, two electric motors and a lithium-ion battery, but now the internal combustion unit is an all-new 2.0-litre i-VTEC four-cylinder unit, compared with a 1.5-litre engine in the other cars.
Honda is targeting CO2 emissions of less than 110g/km, which means fuel consumption should be less than five litres per 100km. This should mean the Civic e:HEV is far more efficient than non-hybrid rivals such as the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus, and be competitive with the Toyota Corolla, currently the only full hybrid hatchback for sale in Ireland.
There's a power output of 184bhp and 315Nm of torque for the e:HEV hybrid system, while the drivetrain has been tuned to deliver quiet and refined performance. This comes in combination with the longer wheelbase, which should ensure improved comfort for passengers.
Safety equipment is also uprated, with Honda's latest ‘SENSING’ suite of safety features on board. there's a 100-degree wide-angle camera up front that's designed to detect pedestrians, cyclists and other hazards, while the latest Civic also features sonar sensors front and rear for improved monitoring of the car's surroundings. Other additions include blind-spot detection, traffic-jam assist, cross-traffic monitoring and eleven airbags to protect the occupants.
The new Civic e:HEV arrives in Europe this autumn, while a new Civic Type R hot hatch will be revealed later in the year, before going on sale in 2023. The new performance model won't follow the standard Civic's lead in terms of hybrid drive; instead it will use a development of the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine seen in the outgoing Type R.
The new Civic Type R is expected to be an evolution of what's gone before, and since the last version was one of the best-handling front-wheel-drive hot hatchbacks for sale, that's probably not a bad thing. Expect the new Type R to have power in the region of the 310hp offered by its predecessor and a six-speed manual gearbox, while the new model will maintain the same appearance as before, with gaping air vents and huge spoilers aplenty.