HONDA launched its revised Civic range in February of this year, headlined by the third-generation petrol-electric Hybrid variant.
While the changes to traditional petrol-powered Civics were more evolutionary than revolutionary, Honda claimed to have taken a more wholesale approach with the Hybrid, fitting a larger 1.5-litre petrol engine and replacing the previous nickel-metal batteries with a superior lithium-ion pack.
But at $35,990 the new model is more expensive than it should be, costing more than rivals such as the Toyota Prius and Camry Hybrid, while the paucity of standard features compared to traditional small-car rivals dilutes the value equation even further.
Combine this with a below-par driving experience, and it’s a hard car to recommend.
Civic Hybrid
Released: February 2006
Ended: February 2012
Family Tree: CivicTHE unique selling point of the previous-generation Honda Civic Hybrid, as with its predecessor, was its relatively conventional design.
While the Toyota Prius and Honda’s own Insight have always embodied a more unique and recognisable ‘teardrop’ design, the petrol-electric Civic was styled to blend into the crowd.
The car featured a combination of a 1.3-litre i-VTEC engine and small electric motor with nickel-metal hydride battery pack, producing a total of 85kW and 170Nm while consuming 4.6 litres per 100km of fuel.
Priced from $31,990 at launch, the car also represented good value compared to the $5000 more-expensive Toyota Prius, its only natural rival in Australia at the time.
Get the full story: Honda's second-generation Civic Hybrid - a green sedan even enthusiats will enjoy
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