Honda's Next-generation Civic Hybrid Prototype Is Incremental Evolution Done Right

Honda

You wouldn't beryllium incorrect to deliberation that Honda's existent hybrid strategy isn't terribly old. The superb small Civic Hybrid deed nan streets successful June of past twelvemonth arsenic a 2025 model, but pinch a caller accent connected its hybrids, nan automaker is already moving connected a next-generation system. I was fixed a sneak peek and moreover sewage a fewer laps down nan instrumentality of nan creatively named "Next Generation Hybrid Study" astatine Honda's investigation and improvement halfway successful Tochigi, Japan.

Honda's engineers wouldn't show maine what car I was looking at, but it was incredibly evident that it's a dense mid-cycle refresh for nan existent Civic, which has been successful accumulation since precocious 2021. That being said, nan extracurricular isn't what really matters. Honda says it has developed a astir wholly caller hybrid strategy for its "Mid-Sedan" (read: nan Civic), calling it nan 5th procreation of nan hybrid powertrain and an improvement of the 4th-generation strategy recovered successful nan existent car. The caller strategy and car are owed retired sometime successful nan second half of 2026 arsenic a 2027 model, and while it mightiness not sound for illustration nan astir breathtaking point successful nan world, it is simply a large deal.

Full Disclosure: Honda flew maine retired to Japan, paid for my nutrient and put maine up successful a mates of very bully hotels truthful I could cheque retired what it was moving on.

Honda

Right disconnected nan bat, this caller powerfulness portion gets a caller Atkinson-cycle people aspirated 2.0-liter direct-injection inline-four. It is not to beryllium confused pinch the Atkinson-cycle people aspirated 2.0-liter direct-injection inline-four successful nan existent Civic Hybrid and upcoming Prelude. They are apparently wholly different motors, but nan caller 1 is much efficient.

It besides has a wholly caller transmission, ditching nan aged coaxial transmission for a single-stage parallel shaft nonstop drive. Don't cognize what that is? Don't interest astir it. Just flick nan caller column-mounted shifter (oh yeah, nan buttons are gone), and you're connected your way. Honda says nan car will travel pinch a caller artillery power strategy for amended efficiency. On apical of that, nan car adds nan S+ Shift simulated cogwheel function we first saw connected nan Prelude. All successful all, nan caller strategy is betwixt 181 and 194 pounds lighter than nan erstwhile one, which is beautiful awesome for a car arsenic mini arsenic nan Civic.

Honda is hesitant to springiness distant excessively overmuch accusation connected nan specs of its caller system. For instance, I've sewage nary thought really overmuch powerfulness it makes, really large nan artillery is, really overmuch all-electric scope it has aliases what benignant of state mileage it gets. For reference, nan existent Civic Hybrid makes 200 horsepower and 232 pound-feet of torque, and nan sedan gets 50 mpg city, 47 road and 49 combined, according to nan EPA. It besides comes pinch a 1-kWh artillery pack.

Honda

Honda really seemed keen to make this caller hybrid level a spot much nosy to thrust than it erstwhile was, pinch amended acceleration and cornering arsenic good arsenic a plain aged much fun-to-drive attitude. Of course, I only sewage a fewer laps successful this prototype vehicle, but I deliberation nan company's engineers mightiness beryllium onto something.

First of all, they added a caller exhaust system, which will apparently make its measurement to cars successful nan U.S., and it gives nan Mid-Sedan a really raspy, heavy sound. It's thing that is decidedly missing from nan existent Civic Hybrid and, if I'm honest, nan Prelude successful banal form.

As is nan lawsuit successful nan 'Lude, S+ Shift is simply a ton of fun. Sure, it's not really necessary, and much apt than not it slows nan car down a bit, but it adds a definite something to nan experience. The steering-wheel-mounted displacement paddles are speedy to react, whether you're going up aliases down nan "ratios" of nan eCVT, and nan higher you get successful nan rev range, nan amended nan small 4 popper sounds — moreover pinch nan pumped-in sound inside.

Aside from that, well, it drives for illustration a Civic. That's to opportunity it feels much nosy than astir compact sedans, but it isn't precisely a heart-stopping thrill machine. It's nice, but you're not going to suffer your mind complete it. I wish I could show you astir nan suspension, but Honda's trial way was a spot excessively cleanable for that. I couldn't really show if location was immoderate much powerfulness from nan caller 2.0-liter aliases revised dual electrical motors, but I ne'er drove nan aged car connected track, either. That's nan quality of these prototype drives, I suppose.

Honda

I can't show you excessively overmuch astir nan interior, because a batch of it was covered up, but location are a mates large specifications I tin stock pinch you because you tin benignant of spot them connected nan in-car camera footage that was shared pinch me. Firstly, Honda has ditched its controversial-at-best cogwheel selector buttons for a steering wheel-mounted file shifter, akin to what you'd find successful a batch of GM products these days. This is simply a very invited summation successful my opinion. All automatic cars should person file shifters. It conscionable frees up truthful overmuch space.

The 2nd large 1 is virtually big. You spot that large achromatic slab underneath nan masking portion connected nan right-hand broadside of that photo? Behind that, I suspect, is simply a ample caller halfway screen. Say goodbye to nan small 9-inch surface you get successful nan decked-out Civic Hybrid these days. Honda is yet getting pinch nan times. There's much to talk about, but Honda said I shouldn't return pictures of nan interior. However, I consciousness for illustration if they shared these images pinch me, it's adjacent game, no?

Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik

I know, a revamped compact hybrid isn't astir arsenic sexy arsenic a monolithic electrical halo sedan for illustration nan 0 Series Saloon, but a car for illustration this being a occurrence is astir apt acold much important to Honda's short- and semipermanent goals. As we discussed, Honda's EV plans person been turned upside down by nan Trump administration, and it's now betting large connected hybrids to beryllium nan reply while everyone waits connected nan EV gyration to really begin.

Honda's "Mid-Sedan" and nan caller powertrain that makes it spell mightiness not reinvent nan wheel, but they show that location is simply a spot of room to turn successful nan soul combustion space. That being said, I deliberation we are quickly reaching nan constituent of diminishing returns. Eventually, engineers are going to scope a constituent wherever there's very small other to wring retired of a small state motor and a mates of mini electrical motors, but until then, this caller setup will surely do.