First look at the Honda Civic e:HEV: bigger, more technological and now hybrid, it will go on sale in October

The  Honda Civic  turns 50 this year. It does so with the arrival of the eleventh generation, which is quite a departure from the original concept, but at the same time adapts to current times by adopting hybridization with Honda's e:HEV full hybrid system. We knew it before it went on sale in October, and we tell you the first impressions.

With  27.5 million units  sold in over 170 countries over its 50-year life, talking about the Honda Civic is talking about a social phenomenon. It is enough to take a look at the outgoing generation of the year 2017 or at the new one that is now presented to realize that the distances between this small car created "for all citizens of the world" in 1972, to that which concerns us today, are insurmountable.

Nevertheless, Honda assures that the new Civic continues to be an innovative and unique car, now included in the C segment as a three-volume sedan measuring  4.5 meters in length  and whose design will not go unnoticed.

This model will arrive in  a single electrified version  using Honda's full hybrid e:HEV system, which is immersed in its electrification path until all its cars are 0 emissions by 2040.

As a good Japanese brand, they will make this  transition  in an orderly and gradual way, something logical also being a giant like Honda which has business sectors as diverse as motorcycles, cars, aviation or those that they include as "creation of life" which includes all agricultural and naval machinery manufactured by Honda in the world.

Along with this sustainability goal, there is also another goal that will be developed in parallel until  there are zero fatalities in Honda car and motorcycle crashes globally  by 2050.

The new Civic on the outside

The new Honda Civic has a distinctly different exterior design from its predecessor in many ways. Its body sports the shapes of a  tough and powerful sedan  , which looks great when you have it in front of you in person.

Up front,  there's no shortage of personality  . The particular design of its look, with a bonnet that extends towards the concave grille which forms a continuous black line between the two headlights, marks its character and gives it personality. You won't confuse it with any other car because this one has its own style.

The  moldings and trim have been reduced  , resulting in a cleaner facade in which the flat and elongated LED technology lights mark their presence on the asphalt.

In the side view, the highlight is   the car's increased  glass area . Particular work has been done in this regard to improve the forward field of vision and minimize risks with pedestrians by reducing blind spot surfaces.

The front window of the windshield is now further back, more precisely the A-pillar is  50 millimeters further back  and this allows a field of vision from the driver's compartment with a horizontal viewing angle of 87 degrees.

Otherwise, the roofline dips more steeply than before and is lower. Specifically, the  height of the roof  has been reduced by 50 mm, the unsightly hinges that the previous Civic had to support the trunk lid have been removed, thanks to the fact that it weighs less because it is xxxx.

Simple and well solved inside

If externally the new Honda Civic is a model with personality and a fairly discreet design, inside what we find is a dashboard marked by  straight lines  , materials that are pleasing to the eye and to the touch and a layout of the controls quite successful.

Following the imaginary line created by the two side branches of the steering wheel, behind is a strip of air outlets covered with honeycomb, matching the pattern of the grille. To move the air outlets and direct it where you want, there are  very nice  knobs.

The  rotary-thread air conditioning controls  for adjusting the temperature sit outside the 9-inch display on the dash, into which the main bits of technology are integrated.

The  Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connection  can be done wirelessly and, among other things, it can integrate a high-quality audio system signed Bose.

In the Advance version, the traditional clocks are replaced by a  10.2-inch high-definition color LCD panel  that offers better visibility and is more in line with current trends.

A large and quite high console separates the two seats and there are other elements worth mentioning, such as the  wireless charging base  for mobile phones, which is large enough to charge the largest smartphones on the market, such as an iPhone. Max.

There are also two  cupholders  , which can accommodate large or small containers, a glove box with a lid on the back, buttons to select the driving mode and an electrically operated parking brake.

There's also a  drive mode selector button  that lets you choose between economy, normal, sport or individual.

The front and rear seats seem amply spacious, although in the latter the low ceiling means that part of the interior trim has to be removed to prevent the occupants  from rubbing their heads  on it.

Single hybrid engine

The new Honda Civic features the most advanced version of Honda's e:HEV full hybrid powertrain   .

It combines a  high  -power-density  lithium-ion battery and two compact, powerful electric motors  with a new  2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle gasoline  engine.

According to the Japanese manufacturer, it achieves the best  thermal efficiency  in the sector (41%) thanks, among other things, to the fact that it incorporates an optimized direct injection system, an active low-temperature catalyst and the modified intake design. . port contribute to increased fuel economy, while achieving specific horsepower.

We are talking about  184 hp and 315 Nm  of maximum torque which allow the Civic e:HEV to accelerate faster than its predecessor and to do so with tighter consumption. 0-100 km/h is 7.8 seconds compared to 8.5 seconds for the previous Civic with the 1.5T CVT or 11 seconds for the 1.0T CVT.

With this mechanical solution, Honda claims combined CO2 emissions of just 108 g/km (WLTP) and fuel consumption of 4.7 l/100 km (WLTP). It also ensures that the mechanical assembly is very smooth and silent and that the vibrations of the assembly have been considerably reduced, although we will have to wait to test it to see how it is positioned in these aspects compared to its competition.

On sale in October

The new  Honda Civic e:HEV  will go on sale in October in France, and at the moment they have not disclosed the prices it will have. What is certain is that in this eleventh generation, the Civic retains the name and spirit of the original, but has adapted to modern trends and hybridization as part of the path to electrify the Honda.