Honda Civic hybrid priced

Just a day after it announced a shock $72,600 drive-away price for the incoming 2023 Honda Civic Type R, Honda Australia has extended its premium positioning for its new-generation small car with the hybrid version of the Civic pegged at $55,000 drive-away.

Rolling into showrooms from December 1 this year, the 2023 Honda Civic e:HEV LX is $7800 more expensive than the petrol-engined Honda Civic VTi LX that’s set at $47,200 drive-away.

Importantly, the Civic e:HEV LX includes a variety of features that should rightly be found on the VTi LX such as front and rear parking sensors and a central front airbag, along with higher-grade items such as leather upholstery, fully digital instrumentation and a panoramic sunroof.

Toyota Australia charges an extra $2000 to add a hybrid powertrain to the Toyota Corolla, which is available from $27,395 plus on-road costs for the Ascent Sport and tops out at $34,695 plus ORCs for the Corolla ZR hybrid.

That makes the Honda Civic e:HEV about $15,000 more expensive than the top-shelf (and less-powerful) petrol-electric Corolla, once on-road costs are factored in.

Given the Civic e:HEV is being pitched an “exhilarating hybrid performance vehicle” with “responsive dynamics” it may be cross-shopped against sporty non-hybrid small sedans like the Mazda3 G25 GT (from $35,690), Hyundai i30 N-Line Premium (from $38,690) and Kia Cerato GT (from $35,790).

As per the petrol-engined Civic, just a single high-spec LX model grade is offered on the hybrid, which features a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine augmented by twin electric motors to deliver a combined output of 135kW and 315Nm of torque.

That compares to the non-hybrid Civic VTi that uses a 131kW/240Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, while the Corolla hybrid produces 90kW/142Nm from its 1.8-litre powertrain.

Honda Australia quotes fuel consumption at 4.2L/100km for the Civic hybrid, matching the Corolla hybrid in the fuel-sipping stakes.

Standard equipment on the new Honda Civic e:HEV LX is generous and adds plenty of extra kit over the VTi LX, chief among them the Honda Connect system.

This grants owners remote access and control of certain vehicle functions, allowing for climate control, lights and door locks to be operated via smartphone. Owners can also set a speed threshold, monitor various vehicle statuses and check things like fuel range.

Honda Connect also enables several autonomous safety systems such as automatic collision detection, which includes notification to emergency services in the event of a crash.

Owners get a five-year subscription to Honda Connect, matching the vehicle’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, five-year roadside assistance and five-year capped-price servicing program.

Over and above the VTi LX, the Civic e:HEV LX features list includes:

- Panoramic glass sunroof
- Leather-appointed seat trim
- Heated steering wheel
- Eight-way power-adjustable, heated driver seat with lumbar adjust
- Four-way power-adjustable, heated front passenger seat w/lumbar adjust
- Active noise control
- Front centre airbag
- Rear side airbag
-Traffic sign recognition system
- Intelligent speed limiter
- Auto up/down power windows front and rear
- White ambient lighting
- Rear USB charge ports x2
-Coat hook x2
- Sun visor slide extension
- Passenger sun visor ticket holder
- Cargo area accessory 12V power outlet
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Bright door moulding
- High gloss black door sash garnish

Where the Honda HR-V e:HEV uses a 1.5-litre petrol engine that largely acts as a generator for the small SUV’s dual electric motors, the Civic e:HEV utilises a bigger 2.0-litre engine that is designed to offer dual personalities: sporty and efficient.

The Civic hybrid’s 2.0-litre petrol engine and dual e-motors can be flipped between three modes – fuel saving electric drive, along with hybrid drive and engine drive modes that can be further toggled through four drive modes – Eco, Normal, Sport, Individual. The latter allows drivers to tweak engine and transmission response.

The petrol engine and one of the e-motors can drive the front wheels individually or in tandem via a fixed-gear transmission (eCVT). The second e-motor acts as a generator for the 1kWh lithium-ion battery.

There are weight penalties brought by the battery and e-motors, the new Civic hybrid tipping the scales at 1478kg, around 146kg more than the non-hybrid car.

This required the fitment of bigger brakes, with 293mm front and 282mm rear brake rotors representing increases in diameter of 11mm and 22mm respectively.

In terms of ride and handling, Honda makes no mention of suspension changes compared to the standard Civic, only noting that “steering and suspension deliver the engaging levels of performance, dynamic response and feedback that have always been central to the Civic’s appeal”.

Honda Australia director Carolyn McMahon described the new Civic as a “step change” for Honda in the small car segment, adding that the hybrid represents “the next phase in our commitment to introduce hybrid variants of each vehicle line with the arrival of every full model change”.

Like the regular model and the new Civic Type R, the Civic e:HEV is built at Honda’s Yorii plant in Saitama, Japan.

Stay tuned for our first drive review soon.

How much does the 2023 Honda Civic cost?
VTi LX – $47,200
e:HEV LX – $55,000
Type R – $72,600

*All prices are drive-away (including on-road costs)