2023 Honda Civic e:HEV hybrid pricing and features

The 2023 Honda Civic e:HEV Hybrid's pricing and features have been revealed ahead of its December 1 Australian release.

Honda is bringing one trim level priced at $55,000 drive-away, $7800 more than the petrol version.

Under the bonnet is a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain built around a 2.0-litre petrol four-cylinder with a pair of electric motors for 135kW of power.

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While Honda claimed the VTi-LX was an up-spec model, its equipment list largely mirrors the mid-spec Civic Sport in the United Kingdom.

Despite wearing the same LX suffix, the hybrid gets leather-appointed power seats, a panoramic sunroof and more to further justify its elevated price tag.

“The new Civic e:HEV LX is a dynamic self-charging, full-hybrid hatchback that complements the design and technology of the 11th-generation Civic with exhilarating, electrified power”, said Honda Australia director, Carolyn McMahon.

The hybrid Civic will hit Australian Honda dealers on December 1 this year.

JUMP AHEAD

• Pricing
• Features
• Engine, drivetrain, and fuel economy
• Colours
• Safety
• Availability

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Pricing

Effectively the range’s new flagship, the hybrid Civic commands a $7800 premium over the VTi LX.

Compare that to Toyota’s upcharge of $2500 for its hybrid powertrain in a Corolla hatch, and the Civic looks quite steep.

A flagship Corolla ZR hybrid hatch will set you back $37,520 before on-road costs, or about $41,500 drive-away, undercutting the Civic by $13,500.

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Features

The Civic hybrid brings Honda Connected to Australia for the first time. This telematic feature uses a smartphone app to control and monitor various aspects of the vehicle.

Pre-condition climate control, switching on and off headlights, remote unlock, location finder, trip log and vehicle updates can all be sent to, or controlled by, the owner’s phone.

Additional safety features include the ability to set a speed alert that will notify you if your car has exceeded the threshold, emergency call button and automatic collision detection to notify the owner if an airbag has been deployed.

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In addition to the new telematics services, the Civic e:HEV LX is equipped with the following:

Engine, drivetrain, and fuel economy

This is the big news for the Civic hybrid. It debuts the latest e:HEV system in Australia, which centres around a 2.0-litre Atkinson cycle direct-injection petrol four-cylinder.

Linked up to a pair of electric motors fed by a lithium-ion battery, the front-wheel-drive Civic hybrid is capable of producing 135kW of power and 315Nm of torque.

The result is a 0-100km/h sprint as quick as 7.8 seconds depending on specification, slightly adrift of the 131kW petrol 1.5’s 7.5 second claim.

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The Civic hybrid uses an eCVT gearbox to transfer power, and there are several drive modes including Eco, Normal, Sport and now a customisable Individual mode.

Update 21/11/22: The combined ADR consumption figure for the Honda Civic is 4.2L/100km, while its urban rating is an impressive 3.2L/100km, compared to 4.0L/100km for Toyota's equivalent Corolla ZR hatch.

Civic hybrid’s series-parallel system does not have an EV-only drive mode, and unlike a plug-in hybrid, the battery is not large enough for an electric-only driving range claim.

The Civic e:HEV's control unit instead automatically switches between electric-only, combustion-only and hybrid drive to achieve its efficiency.

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Colours

Honda’s simplified agency model has seen choice disappear in favour of simplicity. As such, there are only three colours available for the Civic hybrid: platinum white pearl, crystal red metallic or crystal blue metallic.

Safety features

The 11th-gen Honda Civic has yet to be evaluated by safety testing body ANCAP. Euro NCAP awarded the Civic five stars in 2022 testing. Key features include:

Availability

The Civic Hybrid will hit Honda dealers from the first of December 2022 with its fixed agency pricing model unchanged from the petrol Civic.