New 2022 Honda Civic: hybrid-only hatchback priced from £29,595

Honda has revealed UK pricing and specifications for the latest Civic hatchback, which is being offered exclusively with a full-hybrid powertrain, just like the Japanese brand’s existing Jazz supermini and HR-V compact SUV. Order books will open at dealers in July.

Pricing starts at £29,595 for the entry-level Elegance trim, rising to £30,595 and £32,995 for the higher-spec Sport and Advance cars respectively. Monthly payments on PCP finance for the three different versions are £349, £369 and £399 respectively, after Honda has made a £1,000 deposit contribution and the customer has made an initial deposit of between £5,427 and £5,844 depending on specification.

Elegance features 17-inch alloy wheels, fabric seats, front and rear parking sensors, a rear camera, a seven-inch driver's display, navigation and an eight-speaker stereo. Sport gains a fabric and synthetic leather combination for the seats, as well as sports pedals, LED foglights and gloss-black mirrors offset against low-gloss black window surrounds as well as 18-inch black alloys.  

Range-topping Advance adds a 12-speaker BOSE stereo, a panoramic sunroof, adaptive headlights and an upgraded 10.2-inch driver's display binnacle. Additional features include two-tone black and diamond-cut 18-inch alloys, leather seats and a heated steering wheel.

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New 2022 Honda Civic hybrid: engine, performance and styling

The new Civic features a pair of electric motors and a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine – up from 1.5 litres in the Jazz and HR-V. Combined, the Civic pumps out 181bhp and 315Nm of torque. It can return up to 60mpg, while CO2 emissions are as low as 108g/km and 0-62mph takes 8.1 seconds.

The 'e:HEV' powertrain allows the Civic to cover short distances on electric power, with the battery being topped up by the engine or by energy harvested by regenerative braking. The powertrain is also capable of having the engine and electric motors working in tandem or solely using the engine at higher speeds.

In terms of styling, while the overall shape has a lot in common with the outgoing Civic, at the front there are now LED headlights and a honeycomb grille, as opposed to chrome. Plus, the rear now features a much simpler design. Honda has extended the Civic’s wheelbase by 35mm over the previous generation, which it claims will improve cabin space, as well as straight-line stability and handling.

Interior and technology

The 11th-generation Civic’s cabin, on the other hand, has been given a significant overhaul, bringing it more in line with the HR-V. That revamp includes a more minimalist design for the dashboard, a few physical buttons for the climate control and a new 'floating' nine-inch infotainment screen.

The infotainment system has been simplified compared to previous versions and features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity as standard. All cars come with Honda’s SENSING safety technology suite, which includes lane-keeping assistance, intelligent adaptive cruise control, blind-spot information and traffic-jam assistance, among other systems.

The new Civic completes the electrification of Honda's current range, which includes the previously mentioned HR-V and Jazz, plus the Honda e electric city car and Honda CR-V family SUV – the next generation of which is set to debut in 2023.

Honda has also announced a new ZR-V hybrid SUV that'll sit between the HR-V and CR-V in the range, plus an electric compact SUV, previewed by the e:Ny1 Prototype. Both of these will also arrive in the UK in 2023.