Lead image: U.K. version of Civic Hybrid.
For the first time since 2015, Honda is building a Civic Hybrid in Canada. The fuel-sipping Civic is set to start production next spring, with sedans being built in Canada and hatchbacks in the U.S.
When Honda introduced the first Civic Hybrid here back in 2002, it was one of the very first electrified vehicles on the market. And unlike the Toyota Prius, it looked like a normal car. The same basic shape as the hundreds of thousands of other Civic models on the road, but with a roof-mount antenna, revised grille, and new wheels. It was even offered with a five-speed stick back then.
Honda continued building the Civic Hybrid for the 2006–2011 eighth-generation car, as well as the 2012–2015 ninth-gen car. But with the new-for-2016 Honda Civic, the hybrid was gone in North America. In its stead, Honda launched the Civic-based Insight that was sold exclusively with a hybrid power system.
The 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid will enter production in Canada in the spring of 2024. Hatchback models will come a little bit later. The two models will use a version of Honda's two-motor hybrid system that is also found in the Accord and CR-V.
The Accord Hybrid delivers 181 hp and 232 lb-ft of torque and uses a 2.0L four-cylinder engine. The new Civic Hybrid could use that, or, like the previous Insight, could use a 1.5L four in place of the 2.0L model. Its main competitor, the Toyota Corolla Hybrid, has all-wheel drive, so there is likely some pressure to add that to the Civic.
Honda said that it expects the Civic Hybrid to make up more than 40 percent of Civic sales in North America. The CR-V and Accord have seen more than 35 per cent of buyers opting for the hybrid variants of those models so far this year.
The Civic Hybrid will be joined by Honda's new Prologue electric in 2024. The company says it plans to see 100 percent of new vehicle sales be fully electric (using battery or fuel-cell energy) by 2040.
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