Honda Civic eHEV [EU] (2023)

The front of the Civic features a sharper bumper design than the previous model, integrating a mesh pattern in the upper grille that emphasises a sportier look. Black garnish on both sides of the lower bumper has been repositioned to give the car a lower, more planted appearance. At the rear, the tailgate deck height and combination taillights are positioned lower than the current Civic.

The rear ends of the hood have been lowered by 25mm, with the A-pillars 50mm further rearward, to align with the centre of the front wheels, giving the car a more balanced proportion in profile as well as a wider, more assured stance from all angles. This also has the effect of making the wheels and tyres appear larger, which, combined with the wider rear track and hemmed wheel arches - which helps reduce the visual gap between wheel and arch - creates a lower, more assured stance and projects a sense of greater agility. Despite the wider track, the overall vehicle width remains 1,800mm, the same as the previous model.

In profile, the Honda Civic e:HEV presents a contemporary, uncluttered aesthetic, with touches such as flush door handles featuring touch sensors, eliminating the need for a locking button. In addition, side mirrors are now attached directly to the front doors below the belt line, instead of to the forward edge of the front door windows, helping reduce unnecessary blind spots.

For the first time on a Civic, the company has applied laser brazing to the roof. This advanced manufacturing technology has allowed the roof and side panels to be mounted closer together, increasing the premium look and feel of the car. This has been achieved through the welding technique negating the need for a moulding strip along the roof length.

The sleek headlights have been integrated to complement the smooth side profile, emphasising the new Civic's low centre of gravity and dynamic styling. Nine LEDs, including daytime running lights, present a sharp yet approachable graphic. The central position of the high beam creates a familiar pupil-like appearance for the front lighting system, framed by the dynamic daytime running lights. The taillights have been integrated into the resin tailgate, representing a clean rear view with no visible lines. While the 'C' line graphic is retained from the current model, the upper and lower part of the lid lamp is also illuminated to give a sleek and wide glow when brakes are applied.

The front bumper is designed to reduce side wake effects by allowing the air to smoothly flow from the side of the front bumper, across the face of the wheel and down the body side. The tailgate, integrated boot lip and light cluster have been carefully designed for optimal aerodynamic efficiency, reducing disruptive air swirls to the rear and further improving airflow around the new Civic.

A range of alloy wheel designs are available, each of which express a refined and dynamic appearance. A 17-inch aluminium wheel comes as standard on Elegance grades, while 18-inch wheels are fitted to Sport and Advance grades; the latter gaining a two-tone finish. Each wheel's appearance and finish has been designed to complement the Civic's sporty and refined appearance.

The new Honda Civic will be available with a choice of contemporary exterior paint colours, with Sonic Grey as the standard option. Additional body colours include Premium Crystal Red and Premium Crystal Blue pearlescent finishes, as well as Crystal Black and Platinum White metallics.

Human-centred interior design brings quality, tactility, exceptional space and comfort

Inside the new Civic, Honda's human-centred approach results in a cabin with greater comfort, visibility and spaciousness than ever before, in addition to enhanced safety and greater driver engagement. Honda engineers focused on these key aspects to offer drivers and passengers a more refreshing in-car experience during long drives and morning commutes.

Honda's M/M development principle is exemplified by an interior that offers premium levels of refinement and everyday usability and benchmarked against upper-level segment vehicles to maximise spaciousness. The unique approach to creating an exhilarating driving experience through both dynamics and design has resulted in a cabin with greater visibility and airiness, thanks to the low, flat dashboard, revised external mirror positioning and larger windows all-round.

The interior embodies the same clean, modern design philosophy of the exterior. The user-focused layout features high quality materials and an uncluttered instrument panel. Tactile touchpoints further enhance the experience for drivers and passengers, with spring force in the buttons carefully moderated to emulate the feel of operating high-end home appliances.

The stylish, yet practical centre console design and layout features two cup holders positioned in parallel to the shift lever. In front of which, sits a large sized tray that can accommodate the largest Apple smartphone. The herringbone black areas of the centre console (and door cards on Advance models) are coated in a scratch and fingerprint resistant finish to ensure a lasting, beautiful finish. The large capacity central storage box now features an arm rest with a mechanism that pops open the top automatically to 60 degrees, so that occupants do not need to twist their bodies to lift the lid.

The cabin also offers a bright and airy interior space for passengers in the rear thanks to a six light glasshouse design, including new rear quarter windows behind the rear doors. The B-pillar has been crafted to appear thinner than it is, with the top of the inner door card shaped to actively pick up outside light, increasing the sense of space for rear passengers.

Continuing the design focus on reducing noise and unnecessary details, innovative air outlets positioned around the interior enable a wider yet less intrusive flow of air around the cabin. A premium look has been achieved by applying a honeycomb mesh pattern on the full-width air vent aperture.

The seats have been designed with comfort and functionality in mind. Both fabric and leather options are formed of a thick, wrinkle-resistant material, offering a clean, premium finish. The back panel of the front seat is created with a single piece of material, contributing to the noiseless view from the rear. Two interior seat designs are available: black with seamless accents and black with white stitching. Fabric seats are standard on Elegance grade models, while the higher-grade Sport comes with a combination of fabric and synthetic leather as standard, whilst Advance grades feature a leather and synthetic leather combination trim.

The new model will be the first Civic to adopt Honda's Body Stabilising Seat for the front passengers. The seat incorporates a planar resin mat structure to support the passenger's entire lower body, from the pelvis through lumbar spine, for greater stabilisation and support.

The new Honda Civic has been engineered with the space and usability to make it a viable alternative to larger vehicles such as SUVs. Despite the lower roofline, interior headroom and cabin space remain the same as the previous model by moving the tailgate support hinges outward from previous generation. The new Civic's generous cargo area has comparable load capacity as the outgoing model - among the largest in its segment - but with a wider tailgate aperture for improved usability. With impressive boot capacity from over 400 litres (to the window line), the all-new Civic can accommodate a wide variety of luggage and equipment.

"The interior of the next generation Honda Civic has been carefully designed to offer a refreshing experience for customers who demand new levels of comfort and connectivity," said Yasunori Ogawa, Civic e:HEV Interior Designer. "This latest model offers new levels of dynamic performance, thanks to its powerful and responsive hybrid powertrain, and needed to have the visual appeal to match. But this cannot be at the expense of interior spaciousness, comfort and practicality. Thanks to our engineering and development team, the next iteration of Civic offers exceptional everyday usability to delight our customers on every journey."

Revised chassis details for an engaging, dynamic drive without compromising ride quality

The new Honda Civic has been engineered to ensure that its chassis, steering, and suspension deliver superior levels of performance, dynamic response, and feedback in all driving situations. It has been developed with a particular focus on precise steering feedback and a more planted ride, increasing the driver's sense of connection with the car.

Improved cornering stability has been achieved thanks to a 35mm longer wheelbase and 18mm wider rear track compared to the car's predecessor. Steering input delay has been reduced through reduced friction of the damper mount bearing and ball joint friction resulting in reduced steering friction by 28% over the previous model.

Other dynamic enhancing revisions include the use of a lightweight and highly rigid aluminium front subframe, revised front dampers and the reduction of damper rod friction to achieve Honda's goal of driver enjoyment and vehicle agility.

A 19% increase in body rigidity over the previous model further improves stability when cornering. To help realise the stiffer body, Honda has implemented a network of interconnected structures to increase both torsional and bending rigidity. At the front of the car, a strong ring-shaped framework creates a more efficient joint structure for the front bulkhead. This is mirrored at the rear, with a second ring-shaped bulkhead bracing the tail end of the car. Connecting these is a highly rigid grid frame structure along the floor, which is paired with a butt-jointed centre tunnel. In addition to the improved dynamic behaviour of the car, the stiffer shell also provides refinement and safety benefits; with reduced NVH transfer to the cabin and improved floor deformation in the event of a collision.

Despite these new, additional strengthening techniques, weight saving was also a major focus of the development team. The aluminium bonnet of the new Civic is 43% lighter than the previous model's steel panel, while the resin tailgate is 20% lighter than before. The strategic use of lighter materials, combined with structural improvements, has resulted in a lightweight yet highly rigid body.

Emphasising the dynamic focus of the development team and all-new Civic, a new electric power steering feedback control algorithm has been employed. This new system allows the vehicle to soften the steering wheels' return to on-centre-position, which plays a significant role in controlling vehicle motion and stability yet avoids any interference with organic driver feedback. An updated version of Honda's Agile Handling Assist (AHA) electronic stability system has been specially tuned for the broad range of European road surfaces and driving conditions.

The system responds to steering inputs with subtle, discreet assistance for added safety and smoother, more predictable vehicle behaviour including stable cornering and lane change at roundabouts, both at low and high speeds, all of which provides peace of mind to the driver.

"The all-new Honda Civic offers an unrivalled driving experience within the family hatchback segment," said Tomoyuki Yamagami. "It has been carefully developed taking in account a wide variety of driving conditions in Europe and embodies our exhilarating development ethos by championing agility and performance. The result is a refined driving experience that creates a sense of unity between the car and the driver, while outperforming class competitors."

Updated hybrid technology delivers superior levels of refinement and real-world efficiency

Honda's acclaimed e:HEV hybrid technology has been upgraded for the new Civic, producing a total power output of 135 kW, and a class-leading 315 Nm of torque, accelerating the Civic from standstill to 62 mph / 100 km/h from just 7.8 seconds. Notable improvements extend into real-world efficiency, with the updated e:HEV producing CO2 emissions from 108 g/km (WLTP) and achieving a fuel economy of 4.7 L/100km (WLTP). The new Civic is a car that blends an exhilarating driving experience with highly competitive efficiency and low emissions.

The full-hybrid powertrain combines a power-dense lithium-ion battery and two compact, powerful electric motors with a newly developed 2.0-litre direct-injection Atkinson-cycle petrol engine. The e:HEV system shifts without notice between EV, Hybrid and Engine Drive with no input from the driver.

When driving in an urban environment the vehicle runs in EV Drive most of the time, producing zero emissions whilst utilising the seamless and responsive traits of electric drive. When the driver requires stronger acceleration, the car will switch to Hybrid Drive to propel the wheels via the powerful electric motor, with the internal combustion engine generating the required electric power.

When driving at constant high speeds, such as on the motorway, the system will shift to Engine Drive, and is directly and efficiently powered by the petrol engine with minimum losses and assisted by the electric motor when necessary. When the required drive energy becomes high towards top speed, the system switches back to Hybrid Drive to unleash the full output of the electric motor.

In all drive modes, brake and deceleration energy is being recuperated to improve the overall efficiency resulting in remarkably low fuel consumption particularly in stop and go traffic. Thanks to the high rigidity of the crankshaft and the secondary balancer shaft, the engine has lower vibrations over the entire engine speed range than in previous generations of the e:HEV system, enabling a smooth drive in all drive modes.

The evolution of Honda's e:HEV hardware over 20 years has resulted in a sophisticated yet compact and efficient power unit that combines the responsiveness and power of an electric motor, with the long-range refinement of a petrol engine to impress in both urban and rural driving. It not only provides instant response when accelerating at low speeds but also at high speeds on the motorway.

Linear shift control correlates engine sound to engine speed for a more reassuring acceleration feel, which is a major evolution from Honda's previous hybrid vehicles. In Sport mode, this is enhanced further using Active Sound Control, which generates an enhanced aural sensation.

For sporty driving on twisting roads, Honda engineers have developed a 'winding road detection system'. This ensures the vehicle is in the most appropriate drive mode to improve responsiveness and reduce unnecessary and frequent switching of drive modes. In this scenario, a stronger deceleration level is also deployed to increase feedback to the driver. At high speeds, and in Engine Drive, the system provides responsive acceleration by providing high engine torque at higher loads thanks to the direct-injection technology.

Using a drive selector, users can seamlessly switch between four drive modes: 'Normal', 'Sport', 'Eco' and 'Individual'. Sport mode sharpens throttle response and improves performance, while Eco mode adjusts throttle response to improve fuel efficiency. The new Individual mode allows users to tailor the Civic's characteristics to suit their driving style, including steering weight and throttle response. At any time, users can switch back to Normal mode, where the car provides a set-up that balances performance and efficiency.

Refined engine offers class-leading thermal efficiency and emissions levels

Direct injection technology enables the fuel to be injected into the engine multiple times during a simple combustion phase, known as a multistage injection, which reduces emissions over a wide operating range. Optimised for faster and more efficient combustion and greater torque, the newly refined engine structure also helps the new Civic to cope with a higher compression ratio, thanks to improved cooling performance and together with the Atkinson combustion cycle achieves an industry leading thermal efficiency of 41%.

Honda engineers developed the new engine to also meet future emissions limits, using a low temperature activating catalyst, optimised intake port shapes for high tumble air flow and sodium filled valves, all of which contribute to improve both emissions and fuel economy.

The latest iteration of Honda's Intelligent Power Unit (IPU) is positioned beneath the rear seats to optimize the overall vehicle packaging. The compact dimensions of the unit have allowed a thicker seat base to be utilized, increasing passenger comfort. A new Power Control Unit (PCU), located under the bonnet to save space, controls the high voltage electric power of the hybrid system.

The increase in power density of the PCU and energy density of the IPU allows the electric motor to take more of the load in a greater range of driving scenarios. In turn, this enables the engine to run at a lower operating speed, reducing fuel consumption and allowing greater levels of torque at higher speeds.

Compelling infotainment package for enhanced comfort and convenience

The all-new Honda Civic combines an intuitive HMI with a range of connectivity services that enhance comfort, convenience, and safety, through the application of state-of-the-art technology and tactile touchpoints that promote accessibility, comfort, and ease of use.

Civic's upgraded Honda infotainment system is accessed through a fast reacting nine-inch touchscreen or via voice control. The controls and menu layers are optimised to minimise up-and-down eye movement to promote simple and fast operation. A finger rest for the touch panel stabilises the user's fingertip even when the vehicle is in motion, with the six customisable shortcut options now placed just above for easy access to functions such as the navigation system, phone, and audio. Physical buttons for 'Home' and 'Back' operations and the audio control dial have been enlarged, making them easier to use while driving.

Honda engineers designed the HMI system to support easy operation while driving, allowing users to quickly access desired functions through fewer menu layers. The infotainment system comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard to enable seamless smartphone connectivity.

An advanced navigation display has been designed with new graphics to minimise driver distraction through clearer presentation of information. The system now accommodates the introduction of 3D urban modelling with improved image quality, using more vibrant colours to assist with navigation on the move, as well as a one-touch operation for frequently used functions.

For the first time in a Honda, a customisable 10.2-inch full colour digital binnacle is standard on top spec models, with lower grades featuring 7.0-inch meter-display dials. Both options feature new instruments that detail power output and regeneration levels within the e:HEV hybrid powertrain. Audio-related information is consolidated on the left side of the screen, while driving-related information such as Honda SENSING and navigation information is positioned to the right of the display. This positioning helps the driver to intuitively operate the relevant steering wheel-mounted controls.

Elegance and Sport grades include eight speakers as standard. The Advance grade features a premium 12-speaker BOSE 'CentrepointTM' sound system, offering occupants improved levels of immersion when listening to music. The technology is the result of a joint development between sound experts from Honda and BOSE, creating a powerful, high-quality atmosphere where all occupants can enjoy realistic and accurate recreated sounds as if they were inside a concert hall.

Upgraded SENSING technology and structural components provide class-leading safety

The Honda SENSING system has a range of additional safety features compared to the outgoing Civic, and some of the existing functions have been significantly improved. In addition, new structural support around the vehicle maintains the highest level of passenger and pedestrian safety, exceeding development benchmarks set against E-segment models. The new model is the latest step in Honda's bold ambition to bring traffic collision fatalities involving Honda automobiles and motorcycles to zero by 2050.

Sonar sensors debut in the all-new Civic, with four at the front and four at the rear, the sensors use the reflection of sound waves to detect non-metallic objects such as glass and walls far more reliably and with far greater accuracy than the millimetre wave radar that was previously used. The new Civic is also fitted with the front wide view camera. It provides a wider 100-degree view and enables enhanced recognition technology to improve the Civic's capability to identify road lines, verges, motorcycles, and cyclists.

A new high-speed processing chip has been used to improve the detection, performance, and control of the system, meaning the Honda SENSING system can detect objects earlier and more accurately than conventional millimetre radar systems, including pedestrians in light and dark environments.

The Forward Collision Warning System is designed to detect the presence of vehicles in front of the vehicle, and issues audible, visual and tactile alerts to the driver if approaching with too much speed. If the driver fails to respond, the Collision Mitigation Braking System is triggered, which automatically applies light brake pressure to help reduce the likelihood or severity of a frontal impact. If the updated system senses imminent collision, it will brake forcefully. Cross Traffic Monitor also benefits from improved radar sensors, enabling the Civic to warn the driver sooner about cars approaching from either direction when reversing from a parking space or driveway.

On the road, the radar allows the Civic to scan each side of the vehicle from the front doors backward, helping to increase the range of the blind spot detection from three metres to 25 meters. When recognising a vehicle occupying the adjacent lane - or approaching diagonally from behind at a significant speed, the system will display a visual warning on the side mirrors when it comes into a range of approximately 25 metres or less, improving safety for drivers looking to switch lanes at high speeds.

For the first time, the all-new Civic is equipped with Traffic Jam Assist. This reduces the driver's workload in low-speed congested traffic by helping to keep the vehicle in its lane, starting from 0 km/h. When traffic congestion clears, from around 60km/h the system seamlessly switches to the Lane Keeping Assist System, a lower speed than conventional systems.

When operational, Lane Keeping Assist System recognises the curvature of corners to optimise the timing of turn in and turn out assistance and appropriately reduce the driver's workload in corners. Assist correction is also featured, which significantly improves centre traceability in case of cantered roads, cross winds or pressure drop next to a truck. When Lane Keeping Assis System is disabled Road Departure Mitigation monitors vehicle lane position and issues visual and tactile alerts if the vehicle drifts into another detected lane without signalling.

Benefiting from the new camera set-up, the updated Adaptive Cruise Control system can detect vehicles much earlier and more accurately than before, enabling progressive acceleration and braking for a gradual and more human reaction. When overtaking a car, the system works in conjunction with the indicator and steering operation to provide strong acceleration depending on the specific driving situation. When a slower vehicle leaves the lane ahead, the system gently accelerates back up to the speed set for the Adaptive Cruise Control. It also responds more quickly when changing into an open lane from behind a slower car, and when a slower car moves out of the lane ahead.

The Civic's Adaptive Driving Beam - a Honda first - is an evolution of Honda's auto high beam and variable light distribution technology. This intelligent system reduces glare and the chance of blinding other vehicles and pedestrians by using the on-board camera to detect vehicles in front, automatically switching multiple LEDs on and off individually to provide suitable visibility without blinding others. The system can also switch to high beam itself, making it easier for the driver to concentrate on the road.

Enhanced structural safety

In addition to new and improved active safety technologies, the Honda Civic incorporates new structural components for improved front, rear and side collision protection, enhancing overall passive safety and meeting Euro NCAP's stringent crash impact safety standards.

These include additional front door stiffeners and rear wheel arch frames that improve side impact performance, and front bumper beam safety plates that absorb impact energy to reduce the risk of leg fractures and knee ligament damage for pedestrians in the event of a collision.

New Honda Civic incorporates a total of 11 airbags as standard across the range. Standard for the first time on the Civic are knee airbags for both of the front seats to reduce occupant injury during front impacts, and side airbags for the rear seats. Also new is a front centre airbag to prevent a collision between the driver and front passenger during a side impact.