Honda Civic SR e:HEV hybrid first drive: Ocean 11

David Linklater
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Hybrid power makes Civic fun, honest; that new colour is called Ocean Blue Pearl.

What’s this new car all about then?

This is still the 11th-generation Civic (launched in 2021), but heavily upgraded – even if you can’t necessarily tell by looking at it. There’s a new front bumper, Honda’s latest “e-shifter” push-gear-selector, a tiny white trim line around the left-side of the dashboard and a cool new Ocean Blue Pearl exterior colour. But the important stuff is all under the skin.

Honda Civic SR e:HEV hybrid.
Family values: 11 generations of Civic at Honda NZ's Nelson headquarters. Photo: Honda NZ.

Civic is now hybrid-only, using Honda’s clever e:HEV technology already powering Jazz, HR-V, ZR-V and CR-V. You don’t plug it in, but it can operate in pure-EV mode for short distances, in hybrid-drive with the petrol engine driving the electric traction motor, or in a more conventional way with the engine driving the wheels at a high-speed cruise.

It’s a two-motor system (but still front-drive) with combined power of 149kW, so it’s a good step up on the old 1.5-litre car’s 131kW. And a world away in technology, of course. 

The other really big upgrade is Google Assistant in the cabin, presented on a redesigned infotainment screen with a dock of shortcuts down the right-hand side. Google is now integrated into the car’s operating system and Assistant is the conduit for voice-control functions (adjusting the air-con, for example).

Honda Civic SR e:HEV hybrid.
Civic cabin still classy; note new infotainment 'dock' on right of screen.

There’s nothing new in having voice control of course, but in Civic Google is also running the integrated sat-nav with live traffic information; just be aware that the internet connection comes from your phone, not the car, so you’re providing the data.

Being Google-based, you can also download a selection of apps and sign into them using your existing credentials. But the basic functions in the car work even if you're not a confirmed Googleist, as long as you have a mobile phone connected.

Honda Civic SR e:HEV hybrid.
Pushbutton gear selector new for Civic.

The Civic's Google system is not as comprehensive as a Polestar2, which is live all the time and makes the car even more of a mobile phone on wheels. But it’s certainly a step in a fully connected direction and Honda says the range of apps will continue to expand as time goes on. None of the Civic’s immediate rivals have anything like it.

Wireless phone projection is now standard for both Apple and Android, by the way; previous Honda models have required a cable for Android, which obviously won’t do now that Civic is living the Google dream. If you do need to plug anything in, there are USB Type-C ports.

Honda Civic SR e:HEV hybrid.
Same suspension, centre of gravity is bit lower. Can you tell?

Other than all of that (okay, it’s a lot), this is the same Civic we’ve known since 2021. The chassis is carried over, save a bit of detail tweaking that has resulted in a centre-of-gravity lowered by 10mm. You could never accuse Honda of lacking a sense of attention to detail.

How much is it?

Oh yeah, that’s the bad news. The Civic now only comes in a single SR e:HEV specification and it’s $59,000.

Honda Civic SR e:HEV hybrid.
The price has gone way up, but so has the tech and equipment.

That’s a massive step up from the $47k pricetag of the original gen-11 car, especially considering it looks so similar, although the new model is fully loaded: everything from leather upholstery to a panoramic glass roof.

The only obvious (and very curious) omission is a power tailgate: buyers of this near-$60k small car still have to do their own lifting.

What’s it like to drive?

The Honda SUV stuff on this platform is all good to drive (the aforementioned HR-V, ZR-V and CR-V), so it’s stands to reason that something lower and more lithe will be even better. The current Civic has already proved itself as a small hatch that rides and handles really well.

Honda Civic SR e:HEV hybrid.
This is one hybrid that can feel quite sporty on the right road.

It’s a given that the new hybrid powertrain is more economical: fuel consumption has dropped from 7.0l/100km for the old car to 5.1l/100km (3P-WLTP). On Honda NZ’s media launch drive from Nelson to Hokitika down the west coast of the South Island, we got 5.5l/100km after a day of, ahem, very spirited driving. So the official figure should be pretty easy to replicate.

But the new powertrain has also changed the character of the car, and you can relax: it’s for the better. One the quirks of e:HEV in models like Jazz and ZR-V is a slightly disconnected feel to the soundtrack, because the way the powertrain works means the petrol engine is often operating in a manner that seems at odds with what the vehicle is actually doing: lots of revs in gentle cruising or none at all at high speed, for example.

Honda Civic SR e:HEV hybrid.
Hybrid tech is shared with Honda's Jazz and new-gen SUVs.

Civic has both Active Noise Control (you might remember that from the long-gone Accord V6) and Active Sound Control. ANC plays a phased sound through the audio system’s speakers to cancel out mechanical and road noise for improved refinement, while ASC pipes in an enhanced soundtrack that mimics a more consistent engine note and faux-gearchanges.

Fake noise, then? Well, yes. But it’s good. It’s not obtrusive and/or comical, simply sitting in the background. In Sport mode it gets a little louder and takes on a sharper edge that - don’t laugh, now – is just a little bit Type R-like.

Honda Civic SR e:HEV hybrid.
Stop press: new Civic has a white line around the passenger-side vents.

Speaking of drive modes, the SR has a new one: Individual, that lets you mix and match various settings. So if you want lighter steering with the more growly engine sound, you can have that.

When you’re not playing Civic sports, the low-down power and muscular mid-range of the multi-level hybrid system is really impressive. It’s a vastly more talented car than the previous model… as it should be for the money.

The full suite of Honda Sensing safety equipment is still present and correct, and is now more effective thanks to a forward-facing camera with a wider 100-degree range.

What’s the pick of the range?

Like we said, it’s officially called the Civic SR e:HEV, but you can just say “Civic” if you like, because it’s now the only model in the mainstream range.

Honda Civic SR e:HEV hybrid.
You've come a long way, baby. Oh, and you're really big now.

The high-performance Civic Type R continues of course, but that’s a whole other thing: different styling, different powertrain and unique chassis. The Type R hasn’t picked up the SR’s new infotainment and Google technology, but there’s one more upgrade for the current model to come, so those features will certainly be added. Not any time soon though, says Honda NZ; the Type R was launched here two years after the mainstream model, so it’s following its own timeline.

What other cars should I consider?

Once upon a time we’d have said Toyota Corolla, but Civic has moved beyond that now: even the top Corolla is “only” $44,990. The Mazda3 Takami ($54,490) is certainly in the frame: it’s a mainstream hatch that’s pretty posh and features a fancy SkyActiv X mild-hybrid engine.

But Honda NZ is also hopeful that buyers of Euro hatchbacks like the Volkswagen Golf or Peugeot 308 might cast an eye the Civic’s way.

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