Reviewed: 2022 Honda Civic e:HEV Sport

In what must’ve been one of the great automotive ‘glow-ups’ of the 21st century, the new Honda Civic e:HEV was launched in 2022, and immediately made its predecessor feel like it was from the stone age.

You see, the Honda Civic has always been a fantastic car. Practical in all its forms (from small hatches such as the EG and EF) to its larger, almost saloon-esque incarnations in recent years, it has flown under the radar for years, diligently carrying out family duties without a fuss, blending happily into the background of everyday traffic, and generally being a very good ‘appliance’ car, but never really giving owners any reason to shout about it, with the exception of the Type R, of course.

That may well be all about to change with the current-generation model, however. Immediately upon taking delivery of the car from Honda, I had several remarks about how sharp this iteration of the benchmark Japanese family hatch looked, with a significant styling upgrade over its predecessor. Yes, it might not be as outlandish or ‘different’ as its forerunner, but it is undeniably much smarter and well-rounded, even if the horizontal front slats in the recess behind the number plate felt a bit cheap-looking in my opinion.

The larger 18-inch wheels as specified on the test car - a mid-range ‘Sport’ model - also helped bring the Civic’s design into the current decade, and whilst some journalists have complained about road noise and ride comfort on these larger wheels, neither proved to be an issue in my experience. It really does seem like this will be a design that will remain appealing for the long-haul, as opposed to the previous Civics ‘shock factor’ which then aged rapidly.

Alongside the kind remarks about the updated styling, the other comment that I continuously heard during my week with the Civic was that it has grown - quite literally - significantly in recent years, with one person even thinking that this must’ve been the new Accord model line due to the car’s size. Interestingly, the e:HEV is actually marginally smaller than the FK-generation Civic, coming in at 4551mm long vs 4557, and 1802mm wide vs 1877, not including the mirrors, so perhaps the smoother-flowing bodywork tricks the eye into thinking the Civic is larger than it actually is. Regardless of its size, I did find the width of the Civic made parking in average-size car ports a little tricky, whilst older car park spaces are often uncomfortably tight, even if the steering, cameras and sensors included as part of the Sport model specification made light work of the actual parking process.

That perceived size increase also carries across to the interior, as does the remarkable step-up in quality. Gone are the dated dashboard displays, laggy infotainment system and general ‘clunky’ feeling of the previous Civic, replaced by an interior which punches far above its weight in terms of fit, quality and finish at this price point. That perceived extra space is felt by all occupants of the car, though some particularly tall rear seat passengers may yearn for a little extra head room, though these circumstances will be few and far-between. Equally, the boot is gargantuan for its class, sitting at 404 litres with the rear seats up, compared to 380 litres from a MK8 Golf or 361 litres in a Toyota Corolla.

The cabin is a genuinely nice place to be, with heated seats as standard even on the base model, a split analogue/digital dash display (fully virtual on the top-spec Advance) and an overall feel of fit-and-finish that you wouldn’t necessarily expect on a family hatch.

Another point that is certainly worthy of mention regarding the interior is the lack of haptic touch interfaces. Real, genuine, tactile buttons, switches and knobs still rule the roost within the new Civic, and it’s all the better for it.

The split leather/textile seats on the Sport model are incredibly comfortable, whilst the low driving position and large glasshouse make long journeys a pleasure, particularly in conjunction with the easy-going CVT transmission and hybrid powertrain, with the car spending the majority of its time in traffic/urban environments running in EV mode, benefitting both fuel economy and occupant comfort.

That CVT is also worthy of a mention in its own right. Whilst that three-letter acronym usually strikes dread into any journalist, I was impressed at how unobtrusive the CVT in the e:HEV really was, and it did a remarkably good impression of a traditional auto ‘box, remaining largely quiet even when pressing on, though it was certainly at its best around town and in built-up areas.

The whole drivetrain is worthy of mention, in fact. The e:HEV’s hybrid 2.0-litre ‘i-MMD’ engine is torquey, responsive and surprisingly fun to put to use, with a flowing B-road giving the otherwise unassuming Civic a chance to show that despite being a family-centric car, there is still room to have some fun when the opportunity provides. Sure, it’s no Type R - a car that I’m hoping to get my hands on later this year - but the chassis is still remarkably well-poised, the steering input decent and the ride quality very good indeed, with a distinct lack of ‘boatyness’ being present on all but the tightest of corners, though S-curves did appear to unsettle the car a little more.

Being a non-performance-oriented car, however, the head has to rule the heart here, and that means talking numbers. In mid-range trim as tested, the new Civic costs £30,595 OTR, with the test car having Platinum White Pearl paintwork at an additional cost of £625, bringing the total OTR prise as-tested to £31,220. This is where the Civic may lose some attention, as even the base-spec model is still a pricy affair, with no cut-price, stripped-back model being offered to target the lower end of the market.

So, the initial purchase cost may be high, but there is an undeniable feel of quality here, which will appeal to those who prioritise fit, finish and build quality over outright price or badge preference. The running costs will also likely be on the lower end of the scale, thanks to Honda’s reputation for longevity and mechanical excellence, whilst officially quoted MPG figures of ~60MPG will help save the sting at the pumps, with the car on test showing 55-59mpg across a mixture of motorway, A and B roads suggesting that Honda’s figures are on-the-money.

Overall, it feels like Honda is really onto a winner here. Yes, there will be some that will say the design is ‘anonymous’ and lacking in drama, but this is a design that I reckon will still look good in a few years time, rather than trying to create initial interest and then quickly become outdated. The quality - of the interior in particular - is leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor, and the driving experience is far beyond what would be expected from a non-performance family hatch.

Bravo, Honda.