Overview
HONDA up to date its all-hybrid Civic small passenger vary in December, including an e:HEV L grade to the carryover e:HEV LX (as examined), which elevated in worth by $900 to $55,900 drive-away.
With further options and extra commonplace tools than earlier than – together with next-generation Honda Join and Google built-in applied sciences – the 2025 Honda Civic vary can be visually refreshed with a reprofiled entrance bumper and body-coloured decrease headlight garnishing.
The remedy is complemented by newly designed 18-inch alloy wheels (with tyre restore package in lieu of a spare wheel).
As commonplace, tools highlights embody a ten.2-inch digital instrument panel, 4 USB-C charging ports, entrance and rear acoustic parking sensors, site visitors signal recognition, clever pace help, a heated steering wheel, auto up/down energy home windows, and a 9.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay (wi-fi), Android Auto (wired) connectivity, and a powerful 12-speaker Bose audio bundle.
Elsewhere, the entry variant gives auto folding and heated wing mirrors, LED headlights and DRLs, rear privateness glass, leather-accented and material mixture upholstery in black, heated entrance seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, dual-zone local weather management, and keyless entry and ignition.
The excessive grade Civic e:HEV LX provides a wi-fi telephone charging pad, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, sunroof, leather-appointed upholstery in black, powered entrance seat adjustment, a chrome steering wheel inlay, sun shades holder, leather-based door card inlays, entrance door card illumination, and an extra rear coat hook and seatback map pocket.
As earlier than, the 2025 Honda Civic is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and twin electrical motor hybrid driveline driving the entrance wheels through an e-CVT transmission.
The system gives 135kW of energy and 315Nm of torque with Mixed cycle gas consumption determine of 4.2 litres per 100km. 4 drive modes are supplied, together with Econ, Regular, Sport and Particular person.
Each Civic variants are outfitted with a beneficiant listing of normal security options as a part of the Honda Sensing suite whereas the Superior Compatibility Engineering (ACE) physique construction is designed to raised defend occupants and pedestrians within the occasion of a crash, the importer says.
For 2025, the Civic vary is on the market in a alternative of 4 paint colors together with Platinum White, Crystal Pink, Seabed Blue, and Sonic Gray (e:HEV LX solely).
All Honda passenger automobiles are backed by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre guarantee with included roadside help and eight years of high-voltage battery cowl. Service intervals are set at 12 months or 10,000km (whichever comes first), putting the Civic behind some rivals with a 15,000km distance interspace.
Upkeep prices are capped at simply $199 per interval for the primary 5 years, bringing the value of scheduled servicing to only $995 for everything of the guarantee interval – or $230 lower than a comparable Corolla.
Driving Impressions
There’s a lot to love concerning the Honda Civic. Principally, it’s a car that feels classier and extra civilised than its nearest rival – however one that’s sadly far dearer, that means many patrons will merely look elsewhere.
Weighed towards a competitively outfitted Toyota Corolla ZR, the Honda Civic e:HEV LX is round $11,000 dearer when on-road prices are factored in. Irrespective of how you chop it, that’s quite a lot of further coin.
The Civic’s cabin is deceptively beneficiant when it comes to its passenger lodging with way more room than its ‘small automobile’ descriptor may counsel. The low-slung seating place means there may be ample headroom all through, a situation that additional advantages the driving force’s relationship with the car’s main controls.
We discovered the seating snug on longer journeys, delivering loads of assist and adjustment. The heated seats (however no air flow or reminiscence features) and steering wheel are a pleasant contact, as is the efficient dual-zone local weather management, and generously sized sunroof above.
On the draw back, oddment storage is a little bit slim. With a cell phone on the charging tray and a few drinks in place the console bin is the one remaining choice for one’s keys, pockets, and so on. Maybe the world occupied by the bizarre push-button gear selector may very well be higher utilised in a future replace.
The inclusion of USB-C shops and rear-seat air vents saved back-seat passengers comfortable on an prolonged Easter street journey, the 60:40 split-fold operate of the rear bench additionally helpful in accommodating bigger parcels.
Boot area is listed at 409 litres and is accessed through a handbook liftgate. There’s a small underfloor storage space beneath, however no spare wheel, the Civic providing solely an often-pointless tyre restore package.
The tech interface additional ahead is up to date to incorporate Google built-in providers together with Google Assistant and Google Maps. Though it gives Apple CarPlay (wi-fi) and Android Auto (wired) we had continuous points with establishing and sustaining a reference to our iPhone 13 Professional.
We additionally discovered the menu system cumbersome, maybe suggesting a better stage of familiarity is required to turn out to be proficient.
Apparently, and though the illumination of the infotainment and instrumentation screens could also be dimmed sufficiently, the laborious buttons to the correct of the infotainment cluster stay brightly lit at night time – a small however annoying oversight Honda would do nicely to deal with.
Headlight efficiency is suitable, relatively than good, the low and excessive beam fairly wanting throw and unfold. It’s a state of affairs we discovered unnerving on darkish nation roads, suggesting maybe the Civic is a car primarily geared toward city dwellers.
Whereas the Civic’s ADAS techniques have been by and huge laborious to fault, we expect Honda must take a very good have a look at its pace restrict recognition expertise…
On take a look at, the system took as gospel any roadside numbering as a sign of pace, together with black-on-yellow advisory indicators, and time-of-day pace restrict indicators set inside a black circle. Methods from different OEMs can learn solely these figures set inside a crimson circle, suggesting the Honda system could also be a little bit means behind.
That apart, and as famous in earlier street exams, the Civic e:HEV is an interesting and well-balanced car that feels a step above its phase rivals. Energy supply is energetic but clean, the hybrid system favouring electrical motivation in most eventualities to ship impressively linear acceleration.
The Civic e:HEV responds precisely to throttle inputs and can nearly mimic conventional gearshifts when known as upon to hustle. The electrical repeatedly variable transmission is stepped to offer perceptible ‘ratios’ in sportier driving – and when decelerating.
In live performance with steering wheel mounted shift paddles, the Civic’s regenerative braking system is a helpful associate in slowing for corners, whereas additionally benefitting the battery’s state of cost.
The car’s friction braking is equally spectacular with constant pedal weighting and calculable pedal stroke development. Providing such a sweetly modulated braking motion permits settled and predictable retardation on flowing nation roads and resolved stops in busy metropolis site visitors. In brief, there’s no excuse for a jerky cease.
We additionally love the Civic’s direct and consonant steering really feel and located the electrically assisted setup to be fantastically weighted in each city and nation settings. Suggestions is correct, the system capable of quell undesirable kickback from degraded street surfaces with little or no deflection.
Sadly, the low-profile tyres make it tough for the Civic’s suspension to soak up sharper edged bumps and potholes, impacting what’s an in any other case well-balanced trip.
Given the agility and luxury the car can provide on smoother surfaces, it’s disappointing this side of the Civic’s trip is neglected, maybe once more highlighting a setup that’s geared toward smoother city roads, and never these farther afield.
The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres fitted to the Civic are grippy, however extremely loud on coarse chip surfaces, considerably detracting from the atmosphere of the cabin. We’d be very eager to attempt the Civic e:HEV LX on some totally different rubber to see if it addresses not solely the extent of noise within the cabin, but in addition the tyre’s means to cope with surprising bumps.
Importantly as a hybrid car is the Civic e:HEV’s gas financial system. On an prolonged take a look at comprising the weekly commute and a rural Easter street journey, the car managed a powerful 4.5 litres per 100km – or simply 300ml/100km greater than the marketed quantity.
Operating on common 91RON unleaded petrol the Civic is fitted with a 40-litre gas tank, equating to a variety of virtually 900km from a single fill.
Whereas there is no such thing as a doubting the spectacular gas financial system, clean and satisfactory energy, well-balance trip, and spaciousness of the up to date Honda Civic, the car’s shorter service mileage, unreliable pace restrict recognition, and unacceptable tyre noise create vital hurdles to potential possession.
Nearly as good as it’s, the Civic’s shortfalls and extreme listing worth will proceed to see it neglected by Aussie patrons – an unlucky case of ‘shut, however no cigar’ if ever now we have seen one.
