Vehicle Overview
The current Civic Hybrid debuted for the 2006 model year and uses gasoline-electric hybrid technology to reach fuel economy ratings of 40/43 mpg city/highway. The Civic Hybrid’s main competition is the more fuel-efficient Toyota Prius.
New for 2011
There are no significant changes for 2011.
Exterior
The Civic Hybrid sedan looks as futuristic as the gas-powered models. The front roof pillars are practically over the front wheels, and the large front doors make it easy to get in and out of the car. Exterior features include:
- 15-inch alloy wheels fitted with low-rolling-resistance tires
- Rear lip spoiler
- Hybrid badges and turn-signal indicators in the side mirror housings
Interior
There’s room for five in the Civic Hybrid, which has two-tone cloth seating surfaces or optional leather seating surfaces. The Civic Hybrid has an interesting-looking instrument cluster that’s similar to the regular Civic’s. It features a digital speedometer positioned near the base of the windshield and a large tachometer in its own housing that sits in front of the steering wheel. There’s also a battery meter and a charge/assist gauge that monitors the electric portion of the powertrain. Interior features include:
- Air conditioning
- Cruise control
- Tilt/telescoping steering wheel
- Power windows, locks and mirrors
- Stereo with CD player and USB audio interface that works with MP3 players and flash drives
- Optional navigation system with voice recognition
- Bluetooth limited to navigation-equipped vehicles
Under the Hood
The Civic Hybrid features a 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine teamed with an electric motor mounted between the engine and the continuously variable automatic transmission. The electric motor kicks in to help acceleration and can power the Civic Hybrid for brief periods at low speeds. Mechanical features include:
- 110 horsepower and 123 pounds-feet of torque
- CVT
- MacPherson strut front suspension and compact multilink double-wishbone rear suspension
Safety
Honda’s electronic stability system is standard on the Civic Hybrid. In the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s frontal-offset and side-impact crash tests, the Civic received the highest overall rating of Good. Safety features include:
- Antilock brakes
- Side-impact airbags for the front seats
- Side curtain airbags
- Active front head restraints
