- Honda has announced that it will launch a hybrid version of the Civic compact car for the 2025 model year.
- The company says the Civic hybrid will be offered in both sedan and hatchback body styles and will be powered by a version of the powertrain in the larger Accord hybrid.
- Hybrid models will not replace the gasoline ones currently offered but will be sold alongside them when they hit the market in 2024.
UPDATE 10/19/23: Honda now says that the Civic Hybrid will arrive for the 2025 model year, not 2024 as was previously announced. Production of the hybrid sedan will start in spring 2024, and the hybrid hatchback will follow after that.
The next step in Honda’s plan to hybridize its lineup will come in the form of the 2025 Civic Hybrid, which will be offered both as a sedan and a hatchback. The company’s electrification plans include shifting to an entirely electric lineup by 2040, but increasing its hybrid offerings in the meantime is meant to bridge that gap.
We reported last April that Honda had launched a hybrid version of the Civic hatchback in Europe, and speculated that the car would also come stateside to replace the discontinued Insight sedan. We’re not sure yet exactly how Honda will adjust the European car’s powertrain, which consists of a 2.0-liter inline-four and two electric motors that combine for 181 horsepower, for the U.S. market. But we can only hope that its output comes closer to the 204 horsepower offered by the closely related hybrid setup in the 2023 Accord hybrid.
While consumer interest has moved from cars to light trucks and SUVs, Honda still sees sedans and hatchbacks as important parts of its business.
“The market has shifted away from passenger cars, but cars still matter to Honda,” said Mamadou Diallo, vice president of automobile sales for American Honda. “The cars bring in younger, more multicultural buyers to the brand.”
The introduction of a hybrid powertrain to the Civic lineup is part of Honda’s plan to keep those younger buyers coming. Honda plans to open the order books for its all-electric Prologue SUV this year as well, which will be its first step toward the broader electrification of is lineup within the coming years.
We expect to find out more about the Civic hybrid closer to the car’s on-sale date, which should be in early 2024.
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This story was originally published January 25, 2023.
Managing Editor, Buyer’s Guide
Drew Dorian is a lifelong car enthusiast who has also held a wide variety of consumer-focused positions throughout his career, ranging from financial counselor to auto salesperson. He has dreamed of becoming a Car and Driver editor since he was 11 years old—a dream that was realized when he joined the staff in April 2016. He’s a born-and-raised Michigander and learned to drive on a 1988 Pontiac Grand Am. His automotive interests run the gamut from convertibles and camper vans to sports cars and luxury SUVs.
Source: www.caranddriver.com