And Hybrid Honda Civic Hatchback has been revealed in Europe, which is a very exciting news. It is pertinent to mention that sedan and hatchback are on the same platform but with different body styles. So, lets discuss the exterior, interior, engine power and salient safety features of the car.
Exterior
On the exterior, everything is the same like a sedan till the B pillar. Then things take a dramatic turn & convert into a hatchback. All-new rear end with new taillights gives this car a very modern look.
Hybrid Engine for Europe
For North America, the hatchback is available in two engine options similar to the sedan. A 2L NA 158HP and a familiar 1.5L Turbo with 180HP. Both engines are mated to CVT. Although the 11th gen sedan is no longer with manual, both engine options on the hatchback are available with a 6-speed manual transmission, besides the CVT. Currently, the hatchback is available only in Australia and Japan with a 1.5T engine producing 176HP and 240NM and CVT as standard.
However, for Europe, the hatchback will be available in e: HEV [ Hybrid Electric Vehicle] version. The hybrid has an all-new 2L naturally aspirated direct-injection Atkinson cycle engine with two electric motors.
According to Honda, the new engine has the latest tech-related to internal combustion engine with multiple new elements, resulting in thermal efficiency of 41%. As per Honda, this is the highest figure for any production passenger road car.
Engine & Battery Power
The hybrid Civic hatchback uses an electric motor driving the front wheels with 181hp & 315Nm of Torque . The Power figures for the engine itself is not known and nor Honda Europe released any details on the total system power . Although a similar system in Accord Hybrid makes combined 212HP . The 2L engine in Accord itself makes around 143HP and 173NM of torque. It is not yet clear if Civic Hybrid uses the exact same setup as Accord Hybrid and we have to wait for full technical specifications for Civic.
If Civic e:HEV hatch follows the footsteps of of Accord Hybrid, that would mean that hybrid Civic variant has more power & torque than the 1.5T regular non-hybrid versions and even more than the hardcore Civic Si as offered in North America. As of transmission for Euro Civic hatch , the hybrid model comes with a direct drive with no conventional transmission, or you can say no transmission at all. There is a single fixed-gear that powers the front wheels.
The car has a newly designed smaller & denser 72-cell lithium battery placed under the rear seats. As per Honda, the hatchback uses an all-new power control unit for improved and instant torque and powerful delivery and with increased efficiency.
Drive Modes in Hybrid Honda Civic Hatchback
The hybrid comes with three driving modes; EV, Hybrid, and Engine drive mode. These modes changed automatically by the engine control module depending upon driving conditions without any input from the driver. In EV mode, the engine is sleeping, the battery powers the motor, it has the regenerative feature, so when brakes are applied, the motor works as a generator and charges the battery.
In Hybrid Drive, the engine powers the generator, which produces power, and runs the electric motor, moving the car. Also, in this mode, the engine does not move the vehicle directly; it just runs the generator to power the electric motor. The battery pack sends power to the motor in the Hybrid mode for maximum acceleration/ performance.
Meanwhile, in the Engine Drive mode, the actual engine comes into play. A lockup clutch engages the engine with an axle to drive wheels.
Also, there are four driver-selectable modes: Eco, Normal, Sport, and an individual mode. This allows separate control of engine & transmission.
Fuel Efficiency
The fuel efficiency of the Civic hatchback hybrid is not available, but it is expected to be under 5L/100 kilometers.
Interior of Hybrid Honda Civic Hatchback
The 5 door Civic gets the same interior as a sedan. A 10.25-inch digital cluster and a 9-inch touchscreen Honda proprietary head-unit are available. Furthermore, A 12-inch speaker Bose audio system with subwoofer is also available along with the wireless charger, wireless apple car play, and android auto.
Safety
Honda sensing comes standard with 11 airbags. Furthermore, this hatchback is also the first Civic to have the front seat center airbag. The purpose is to protect and prevent collision between the front driver and passenger in side impacts.
Price of Hybrid Honda Civic Hatchback
There is no price announcement about the car as yet. Meanwhile, the hybrid hatch will also be available in Japan later this year. Keep in mind that the Honda Civic sedan is also not available in Japan. There is a due possibility that Honda will discontinue the Honda Insight sedan with the arrival of the Civic Hatchback Hybrid in Japan.
