Review: Honda Civic e:HEV

Our week-long test of the 11th generation Honda Civic e:HEV coincided with a dash down to Cornwall from our home in Yorkshire to collect a dog we were rehoming.

The 750-mile round trip, completed over a weekend, proved a good test of the HEV’s comfort, practicality and fuel consumption - all of which it passed with flying colours.

We averaged around 50mpg and that was mainly on motorways and A-roads with a few local roads thrown in.

As a family car, it ticks all the boxes. Providing you are in the market for a five-door hatchback which is the only style available.

The two-litre engine is boosted by full-hybrid technology to make it more efficient and hence the better than expected fuel consumption on our trip. Together, the engine and the motor achieve 181bhp, powering the Civic from 0-62mph in 8.1 seconds. Official fuel consumption figures are pegged at 521 miles for a full tank which is pretty impressive. The Civic can run on electrical power alone for a short period before the petrol engine kicks in which makes for a quiet and smooth getaway.

The e-CVT gearbox is faultless and does everything asked of it even under harsh acceleration.

The Civic has been around for more than 50 years. It was first launched in 1972 and this 11th generation hails from 2022.

Although still recognisable as a Civic the latest model has a longer wheelbase (by 35mm), lower waistline and a more sloping shape to make it more aerodynamic.

The front is striking with a steeply raked bonnet and stylish sporty grille.

There are only three trim levels: Elegance, Sport, and Advance. All are well specced up with a long list of standard equipment including a full complement of passive and active safety enhancements such as speed limiter, collision warning, lane keeping assist and traffic sign recognition.

All trims have parking sensors and rear-view camera, air conditioning, adaptive cruise control and electric lumbar support for the driver’s seat - top spec Advance adds eight-way electrical adjustment for the driver and four-way for the passenger. All have heated front seats with Advance gaining a heated steering wheel.

The multi-info display is 7in in the bottom two trims with an upgrade to 10.2in for Advance. All have a 9in touchscreen with Honda Connect, navigation, smartphone mirroring, Bluetooth and wireless charging in the top two trims.The screen is quick to respond and we had no trouble navigating the menus.

Not all functions are accessed through the touchscreen: there are enough physical buttons to make life on the move safe and practical.

Ride quality is good - even on the 18in wheels of our Advance test car.

One feature of the Civic we particularly like is the powerful LED lights - even more so in Advance as they are automatic and switch from high to low beam as conditions dictate.

Specification

Honda Civic e:HEV

Price: £39,805

Engine: Two-litre full hybrid

Power: 181bhp

Torque: 232lb/ft

Transmission: e-CVT

Top speed: 112mph

0-62mph: 8.1 seconds

Economy: 56.5mpg

CO 2 emissions:114g/km