When Honda gave the 11th-generation Civic Hatchback a refresh late last year, among the changes were the addition of a hybrid option to the lineup. There was already a lot to like about Honda's compact, which eschews lamentable trends like an over-reliance on touchscreens for good old-fashioned physical controls. Now, a big efficiency boost makes it even more attractive.
The new powertrain is available in the $29,950 Sport Hybrid and the $32,950 Sport Touring Hybrid (the trim we tested). With an output of 200 hp (150 kW) and 232 lb-ft (315 Nm), it's both more powerful and torquier than the 1.5 L turbo previously found in the top trim Civics. And it uses a heck of a lot less fuel in the process.
The Civic uses a hybrid powertrain with two electric motors working with the 2.0 L, four-cylinder engine. One works as a generator to charge the 1 kWh traction battery from the engine under most conditions. The battery then powers the 181 hp (135 kW) traction motor, which is what mostly drives the front wheels, although like most other series hybrids of this nature, it operates as a parallel hybrid with the 141 hp (105 kW) gasoline engine directly driving the front wheels at highway cruising speeds, as that is actually more efficient. (For some reason, this supposed lack of engineering purity seems to really upset some people, who I am sure will let us know why in the comments.)
