The Honda Civic hybrid is returning.
Honda Europe has detailed the e:HEV version of its new 11th-generation Civic, which is due here in the third quarter of 2022.
It mates a direct-injected 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine with two electric motors and a lithium-ion battery, with total system outputs of 135kW of power and 315Nm of torque.
The powertrain is mated with a fixed-gear transmission.
Honda says it’s targeting fuel consumption of less than 5.0L/100km and CO2 emissions of less than 110 grams per kilometre in WLTP testing.
The Civic e:HEV’s power output is 23kW down on the larger Accord hybrid, albeit with an identical torque figure.
It’s also 39kW and 62Nm up on the new HR-V e:HEV, and up 4kW and 75Nm on the turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine in the Civic VTi-LX.
In ADR testing, the petrol-powered Civic consumes a claimed 6.3L/100km.
The Civic e:HEV’s most obvious rival is the popular Toyota Corolla hybrid, which uses between 3.5 and 4.2 litres per 100km.
The Civic e:HEV uses a new Power Control Unit which sits under the bonnet, while an Intelligent Power Unit sits under the rear seats.
There are four drive modes to select from: Eco, Normal, Sport and Individual mode. Individual mode allows drivers to separately select engine, transmission and instrument cluster display settings.
Honda says it’s paid careful attention to noise management and vehicle driveability, promising a “calming cabin environment” and a “smooth, linear feel during acceleration”.
External changes are limited to a revised rear bumper with concealed exhaust outlets, as well as blue accents on the Honda badges.
More noticeable is the key interior change, with the conventional shifter replaced with a push-button set-up. There’s also a power flow display on the central 9.0-inch touchscreen, as well as hybrid system information within the instrument cluster.
Honda Australia boss Stephen Collins has previously said the brand is targeting a Toyota-rivalling price gap between the petrol and hybrid, meaning the e:HEV will likely be priced just below $50,000 drive-away when it touches down in Australia.
That suggests the Civic e:HEV could be offered in a similar level of specification to the petrol model. The redesigned Civic hatch is currently offered here exclusively in range-topping VTi-LX trim.
The brand is predicting around 900 annual sales for the petrol-only Civic, but says it’s not yet clear how close demand for the hybrid will come to matching that.
Both variants will slot in underneath the upcoming Type R, which has yet to be officially unveiled but which has been spied and teased extensively.
Honda is expected to slot an evolution of the current turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine under the bonnet. In the outgoing Type R, it makes 228kW of power and 400Nm of torque.
Honda previously offered hybrid variants of its seventh, eighth and ninth generation Civic sedans.
The Civic Hybrid was axed locally as part of a mass cull of Honda hybrids almost 10 years ago, with the hybrid Jazz, Insight and CR-Z also disappearing at the time.
More recently, Honda Australia said it would offer a hybrid version of each new model.
The Civic e:HEV will follow shortly after the HR-V e:HEV, the first time an electrified HR-V has been offered in Australia. It’s due here in the second quarter of this year.
They’ll join the hybrid Accord, though the hybrid CR-V remains off-limits for Australia.
MORE: Everything Honda Civic
