RE: 2022 Honda Civic E:HEV | PH Review
RE: 2022 Honda Civic E:HEV | PH Review
Sunday 27th November 2022

2022 Honda Civic E:HEV | PH Review

Yes, there is a new Honda Civic that isn't a Type R - very good it is, too


We all know the humble family hatch has fallen out of favour. When even Ford is set to cull the Focus, the writing must be on the wall. VW has the Taigo, T-Roc and Tiguan SUVs, plus the electric ID 3, all at Golf size and money, to tempt buyers into something trendier. And the appetite is undeniably there; customers get the practicality of hatch with a cool lifestyle look and higher driving position (plus more weight and cost), while manufacturers can cash in on shared modular architecture with more profitable bits on top. Combustion engined or otherwise, the fascination ain’t going anywhere.  

Which seems somewhat of a pity for cars like the 11th-generation Honda Civic. Spend 10 minutes behind the wheel and it won’t fail to impress; spend a few days driving and you’ll start to wonder why on earth this stopped being desirable. In a reasonably compact (if large for a hatch) footprint, there’s a car that can carry a family and all its stuff, reach 62mph in eight seconds, handle smartly, cruise quietly, return 50mpg without thinking and operate with the kind of metronomic, gratifying precision that makes the Civic feel like it’ll happily do this for decades. Probably will, in fact. And yet you know that any young buyer with a baby and a dog would look at a CR-V - let alone the dozens of other SUVs out there - before thinking Civic. Because people don’t seem to buy five-door hatch now. Which is a shame.  

Not helping itself though, is it? If this new look suits a toned-down Type R, it does make for a slightly bland standard hatch. And bland won’t cut it in the world of £30k family cars. It’s Civic tradition to not really resemble the car that came before, but in seeking not to repeat the divisive styling of its predecessor Honda has seemingly created a Civic without a distinct design identity. You know it’s a Civic because it’s big and not a traditional hatchback shape, rather than any proper hallmark features. Or any eye-catching details, really. To these eyes, something like a Peugeot 308 or a new Vauxhall Astra is much more visually appealing, before considering the allure of an SUV. Having done all the styling and then not so much styling, presumably the next Civic will be perfectly done.  

Fortunately, the interior is beyond much meaningful fault. The Civic’s touchscreen maybe isn’t the quickest and you’ll once more search for any wow factor - beyond the funky vents - but all the essentials are done faultlessly. It feels really solidly built, the driving position is good, the materials are nice, phone pairing is easy, and it’s all laid out logically. Honda has refined the wheel rather than attempting to reinvent it (if that analogy can extend to interiors) and it really shows. You’re never left screaming at something unresponsive or floundering to find a button that doesn’t exist or wondering if that plastic is good enough, and that’s nice.  

Under the Type R, just one powertrain is offered for the Civic, an E:HEV 2.0-litre hybrid with something called an e-CVT. Which sounds like a disaster - fear not. Up to motorway speeds the 143hp engine is used only as a generator to power the 1 kWh battery and 184hp motor, which then turns the front wheels; e-CVT isn’t a continuously variable transmission of the bad old days, instead an imitation that revs through ‘gears’ rather than having the four-cylinder drone at a constant rpm while generating. It sounds very complex in the best Japanese curio fashion, but works very well (and seamlessly) in reality.

There’s great throttle response that makes the Civic feel brisk, a lot of EV running at low throttle loads, 60mpg if you think about it, no huge weight penalty because the battery is so small and no need to plug in. Which, if we assume the Civic customer tends to be a bit more mature and familiar with a petrol pump, is probably a good thing. Even the e-CVT kind of works, mimicking conventional acceleration pretty well. Just don’t expect any fireworks, even with Econ or Normal mode switched for Sport. It’s fast, the Civic, with a few tests having comfortably beaten the claimed 0-62, but it’s not furious. It just quietly goes about getting the job done to a very high standard.  

Same goes for how it drives, if the theme isn’t apparent yet. Nothing especially stands out, rather everything operates in a slick, polished fashion. The resistance of the pedals is spot on, even with the brake incorporating adjustable regen, the steering has a satisfying weight to it, traction is strong, and the balance isn’t too nose-heavy. The Civic is really pleasant to drive in every scenario, competent and assured, without one ride or handling USP. Which is probably just how a Civic should be - impressive without being extraordinary. Importantly, there are no glaring flaws, either. And in an automotive world obsessed with style over substance, there’s pleasure to be had from driving something so thoughtfully and thoroughly engineered. Which feels like damning the Civic with faint praise, but we’d take an odd-looking car that’s been set up considerately over a fancy but flawed one every day of the week.  

The new model is even refreshingly simple to spec. With that hybrid powertrain buyers can pair one of three specs: entry-level Elegance, Sport and Advance. Nothing more complicated than that, and an Advance like this comes with loads of equipment. Of course. The price is comparable with rivals boasting similar power. 

All in all, it’s honestly hard to think what more the average hatchback buyer could want from the newest iteration of Civic. Much like an old Golf - typically the benchmark for such things - it just performs so well across the board, from the way the interior is put together to the way it drives. Nothing about it will ever blow you away, perhaps - but even after a week behind the wheel it also feels like the Civic would be a very difficult car to replace or meaningfully improve upon. Returning customers will be delighted. But let's hope Honda succeeds in tempting some conquest buyers into its showrooms too, because this is more than good enough to merit consideration on any family car shopping list, whether there are SUVs on it or not.


SPECIFICATION | 2022 HONDA CIVIC E:HEV ADVANCE

Engine: 1,993cc, four-cyl, 1.05kwh battery, electric motor
Transmission: e-CVT
Power (hp): 143@6,000rpm, electric motor 184
Torque (lb ft): 137@4,500rpm, electric motor 232
0-62mph: 8.1 seconds
Top speed: 112mph
MPG: 56.5 (WLTP combined)
CO2: 114g/km
Weight: 1,533kg
Price: £32,995 (Advance as standard; price as tested £33,820 comprised of Sonic Grey Pearl paint for £825)

Author
Discussion

Bencolem

Original Poster:

1,130 posts

256 months

Sunday 27th November 2022
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It just feels like Honda designed the new Civic for the US market - our fault really for buying SUV’s and shunning the hatchback these days.

Master Bean

4,575 posts

137 months

Sunday 27th November 2022
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i still don't understand how the transmission works. Does the engine just rev constantly if the electric motor is doing the acceleration?

dobly

1,448 posts

176 months

Sunday 27th November 2022
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That Sonic Grey Pearl paint looks quite blue to me…

fbc

187 posts

153 months

Sunday 27th November 2022
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Master Bean said:
i still don't understand how the transmission works. Does the engine just rev constantly if the electric motor is doing the acceleration?
This video explains it well:



Short answer no. The ICE runs when either the electric drive motor isn't sufficiently powerful (ie at higher speeds), or if battery for the electric drive motor has insufficient charge.

The ICE is directly connected to a second electric motor that acts as a generator to either bump up the battery or directly provide power to the electric drive motor. The ICE is also connected to the vehicle's drive via a clutch, and at higher speeds the ICE will run and the clutch will engage so now the ICE is both providing additional drive power and also powering that second electric motor generator unit.

So the ICE has three modes:
1 - Off, when the electric motor is sufficiently powerful and also has sufficient battery reserves
2 - On, with the drive clutch disconnected, thus only powering the generator unit and disconnected from the drive to the vehicle, so this is when the electric motor is sufficiently powerful but the battery reserves are low
3 - On, with the drive clutch connected - for higher speeds where the electric drive motor's power isn't sufficient, the ICE is both driving the vehicle (in conjunction with the 'main' electric drive motor) and the generator

There's no CVT, it's just how Honda have branded the system.

Edited by fbc on Sunday 27th November 03:42

Mike1990

1,088 posts

148 months

Sunday 27th November 2022
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I can’t begin to understand the transmission but from what I’ve seen video wise, it acts just like a normal auto transmission in that it changes up and down when using all the power.

Bobtherallyfan

1,438 posts

95 months

Sunday 27th November 2022
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Bought one a month ago as a family hack. Very impressed so far, the driving experience is very smooth and relaxing. And we have been getting some impressive mpg on short runs, where the car stays in EV mode. Best of all, no touchscreen controls for basic everyday controls, just good old buttons and dials.

fbc

187 posts

153 months

Sunday 27th November 2022
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Mike1990 said:
I can’t begin to understand the transmission but from what I’ve seen video wise, it acts just like a normal auto transmission in that it changes up and down when using all the power.
The video I posted goes through it step by step, but to try and summarise - it's not like a normal auto transmission, they're no gear changes that occur, and all of the ratios involved in the various drive connections are fixed, so it's also not like a CVT, Honda's branding is confusing.

What you have is:
- An electric drive motor that's always connected to the differential through a single fixed ratio and is therefore always driving the vehicle. This motor is powered by the battery, and also in some circumstances the second electric motor generator unit connected to the petrol engine (see next point) will also provide electricity to power this drive motor.

- A second electric motor that's directly, and constantly, connected to the petrol engine, this motor is only a generator and will supply electrical power to the battery (to replenish it), or to the drive motor. This generator unit does not ever directly provide drive to the vehicle, and it is only turned when the petrol engine is running.

- A petrol engine that is directly, and constantly, connected to the second electrical motor - the generator above. When the petrol engine is running it is therefore always driving that generator unit. This petrol engine is also connected, via a clutch, to the differential, this is through a single fixed ratio. When there's a need, this clutch will engage and petrol engine will, in addition to the first electric drive motor, drive the vehicle. Therefore the petrol engine can be run to turn the generator when needed, and also via the clutch provide additional drive to the vehicle. When the petrol engine is running, the generator will also be running, and the petrol engine may, or may not, be driving the vehicle depending on the clutch position.

There's no gear changing involved - both drive units (the electric motor and the petrol engine) connect to the differential via single fixed gear ratios, these never change. What happens is the electric drive motor is always driving the vehicle through its single fixed gear ratio, and then in certain circumstances the petrol engine will run and the clutch engages meaning the petrol engine is also driving the vehicle through its single fixed gear ratio.

No gear changes occur, just a connection / disconnection to the vehicle drive of the second power source (the petrol engine) as required.

Edited by fbc on Sunday 27th November 07:37

GTEYE

2,278 posts

227 months

Sunday 27th November 2022
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Maybe it’s just me, but there’s something a bit off with the proportions especially side on, almost a whiff of land crab about it.

Overall a decent package, but it seems rather “US” market.

Bakazan

123 posts

154 months

Sunday 27th November 2022
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fbc said:
The video I posted goes through it step by step, but to try and summarise - it's not like a normal auto transmission, they're no gear changes that occur, and all of the ratios involved in the various drive connections are fixed, so it's also not like a CVT, Honda's branding is confusing.

What you have is:
- An electric drive motor that's always connected to the differential through a single fixed ratio and is therefore always driving the vehicle. This motor is powered by the battery, and also in some circumstances the second electric motor generator unit connected to the petrol engine (see next point) will also provide electricity to power this drive motor.

- A second electric motor that's directly, and constantly, connected to the petrol engine, this motor is only a generator and will supply electrical power to the battery (to replenish it), or to the drive motor. This generator unit does not ever directly provide drive to the vehicle, and it is only turned when the petrol engine is running.

- A petrol engine that is directly, and constantly, connected to the second electrical motor - the generator above. When the petrol engine is running it is therefore always driving that generator unit. This petrol engine is also connected, via a clutch, to the differential, this is through a single fixed ratio. When there's a need, this clutch will engage and petrol engine will, in addition to the first electric drive motor, drive the vehicle. Therefore the petrol engine can be run to turn the generator when needed, and also via the clutch provide additional drive to the vehicle. When the petrol engine is running, the generator will also be running, and the petrol engine may, or may not, be driving the vehicle depending on the clutch position.

There's no gear changing involved - both drive units (the electric motor and the petrol engine) connect to the differential via single fixed gear ratios, these never change. What happens is the electric drive motor is always driving the vehicle through its single fixed gear ratio, and then in certain circumstances the petrol engine will run and the clutch engages meaning the petrol engine is also driving the vehicle through its single fixed gear ratio.

No gear changes occur, just a connection / disconnection to the vehicle drive of the second power source (the petrol engine) as required.

Edited by fbc on Sunday 27th November 07:37
I've watched the video and read your explanation that both make sense. But in the article it says "an imitation that revs through ‘gears’", I don't see how this makes any sense in the context of the drive arrangement?

fantheman80

2,093 posts

66 months

Sunday 27th November 2022
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GTEYE said:
Maybe it’s just me, but there’s something a bit off with the proportions especially side on, almost a whiff of land crab about it.
I agree from the pics, but I did see one in the flesh the other day, and It’s defo better in the flesh. I thought the type r with its wider hips to balance the long nose is gonna look Bob on

GTEYE

2,278 posts

227 months

Sunday 27th November 2022
quotequote all
fantheman80 said:
GTEYE said:
Maybe it’s just me, but there’s something a bit off with the proportions especially side on, almost a whiff of land crab about it.
I agree from the pics, but I did see one in the flesh the other day, and It’s defo better in the flesh. I thought the type r with its wider hips to balance the long nose is gonna look Bob on
I’ve not seen one in the metal yet, but that’s often the case these days.

It looks big though and it’s no illusion - it’s within 15cm of being the length of a 3 Series (which itself has grown over the years)….

Draxindustries1

1,657 posts

40 months

Sunday 27th November 2022
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Honda , like other Japanese makes have vision. Producing a car like this makes sense. Range isn't an issue, there's no waiting around for a battery to charge and actually finding one that works plus it doesnt sound like a washing machine motor but has proper internal combustion sounds.
Once hydrogen becomes commercially viable (which it will) the ICE will be the perfect application for this and the EV will be redundant. It will be far cleaner than a EV as power station reliance for charging won't be an issue ie Co from gas and the massive waste disposal problems from nuclear.
Hydrogen powered ICE and battery combined is the future..

fbc

187 posts

153 months

Sunday 27th November 2022
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Bakazan said:
I've watched the video and read your explanation that both make sense. But in the article it says "an imitation that revs through ‘gears’", I don't see how this makes any sense in the context of the drive arrangement?
Not entirely sure, but I'm guessing Honda might be manipulating the electric motor's power delivery characteristics as the vehicle accelerates (along with some generated sound trickery) to provide an imitation of the feeling of power delivery changing as vehicles change gear (similar to what Dodge is intending to do with its Charger EV concept).

The key word here is "imitation", they're imitating gear changes even though none actually occur.

Augustus Windsock

3,648 posts

172 months

Sunday 27th November 2022
quotequote all
Despite how apparently clever this is, reading the article couldn’t help me but make me think about an album by Deep Purple;
‘Come Taste The B(L)and’….
There is nothing for me to get revved up about, it just seems like grey porridge to me I’m afraid.

sam.rog

1,158 posts

95 months

Sunday 27th November 2022
quotequote all
Draxindustries1 said:
Honda , like other Japanese makes have vision. Producing a car like this makes sense. Range isn't an issue, there's no waiting around for a battery to charge and actually finding one that works plus it doesnt sound like a washing machine motor but has proper internal combustion sounds.
Once hydrogen becomes commercially viable (which it will) the ICE will be the perfect application for this and the EV will be redundant. It will be far cleaner than a EV as power station reliance for charging won't be an issue ie Co from gas and the massive waste disposal problems from nuclear.
Hydrogen powered ICE and battery combined is the future..
One question. How do you produce the hydrogen?

anonymous-user

71 months

Sunday 27th November 2022
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Dull as dishwater, however slightly interesting the engineering might be...

Leon R

3,487 posts

113 months

Sunday 27th November 2022
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Most hatches look like they designed the base car and then added arch extensions, spoilers ect to make the hot version.

The civic always looks like they started with the type r design and removed stuff to make a base car.

Nicks90

637 posts

71 months

Sunday 27th November 2022
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Love this car, reminds me of the saying I read on PH years ago,
Germans make the cars you want, Japanese make the cars you need.

ChrisCh86

1,053 posts

61 months

Sunday 27th November 2022
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As a Mechanical Engineer, I can't help be fascinated by the engineering behind this - a really innovative and clever drivetrain.

ICE engines typically have a small peak efficiency band and electric motors give great instant response - so by combining the two you're almost having the best of both worlds.

MountainsofSussex

349 posts

203 months

Sunday 27th November 2022
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Bakazan said:
I've watched the video and read your explanation that both make sense. But in the article it says "an imitation that revs through ‘gears’", I don't see how this makes any sense in the context of the drive arrangement?
Because an engine droning away at a fixed 2,000rpm or whatever gets annoying, as you accelerate, the engine revs up a bit, then drops the revs again, simulating a gear shift, and starts revving up again, even though the engine is only effectively connected to an oversized alternator.
But from about 60mph a clutch closes and does connect the engine to the differential, giving it a single high speed gear. This eliminates the 5-10% efficiency losses from the generator, power electronics and drive motor. Clever idea