Honda Civic Hatchback Review 2023
The Honda Civic Hatchback is now in its 11th generation and continues to impress. The latest Civic Hatchback comes with a sporty exterior, exceptional on-the-road performance, and a well-built interior, making it an excellent choice for a family hatchback.
Rivals to the Honda Civic Hatchback include the Skoda Octavia, Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Corolla, and Ford Focus.
Honda Civic Hatchback Pros:
- Class-leading performance
- Excellent boot space
- Simple and well-built interior
Honda Civic Hatchback Cons:
- Rear headroom is limited
- Lacking the gadgets of other modern cars
- Expensive compared to rivals
Our Honda Civic Hatchback review covers:
- Honeycomb front grille and round rear end
- Well-built and logical interior
- 410-litre boot
- One eHEV hybrid engine available
- Three trim levels: Elegance, Sport, and Advance
The Honda Civic Hatchback is now in its 11th generation, and the exterior has been pretty consistent. The most recent Hatchback comes with a new sporty honeycomb front grille, sits on 17-inch alloy wheels, and flows elegantly from front to back, ending with a fairly round rear end.
On the inside, you won't be struggling for room in the Civic Hatchback. The driver and front-seat passengers get plenty of room, while the only complaints the rear passengers will have is about headroom. For storage, there's a generous glovebox and a large centre console that contains two cupholders and a large storage compartment.
The Civic Hatchback comes with a 410-litre boot, which can be extended to 1220 litres with the rear seats folded 60/40. This puts the Civic Hatchback top of its class, beating the generous Ford Focus and the Volkswagen Golf. The boot lip is a bit chunky, so be careful when loading heavier items.
As expected in a Honda car, the interior is tidy and well-built. It features a good range of high-quality materials and soft plastics that have been excellently woven into the interior. Although there are some hard plastics, these come lower down the dashboard out of the eye line.
The Civic Hatchback comes with a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system as standard. It's easy to use and features sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You'll also get a 7-inch digital instrument display behind the steering wheel, which is upgraded to 12 inches on the Advance trim and above.
Three trim levels are available for the Honda Civic Hatchback: Elegance, Sport, and Advance.
The entry-level Elegance comes with 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, climate control, adaptive cruise control, privacy glass, automatic lights, all-around electric windows, and heated front seats.
Sport adds to this with 18-inch gloss black alloy wheels, LED front fog lights, part-leather seats, keyless entry, wireless phone charging and rear air vents, and a rear view camera.
The range-topping advance features 18-inch two-tone black diamond cut alloy wheels, a heated leather steering wheel, a panoramic glass roof, and premium Bose audio 12 speakers.
The only engine available in the Civic Hatchback is the hybrid eHEV which combines a 2.0 -litre petrol engine with a 1.05 kWh lithium-ion battery. It produces a power output of 181bhp, has a top speed of 111mph, and achieves 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds. This makes the Civic Hatchback quicker than the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf.
The hybrid system in the Civic Hatchback also works a bit differently to most. Because of how small the battery is, it can't run solely on electric power for that long; however, it can do it at any speed. At higher speeds, the engine locks in to directly drive the wheels, and because there's no gearbox, it makes it feel like a fully-electric car.
The eHEV engine also returns a very competitive fuel economy, coming in at a combined 56.5mpg.
On the road, the Civic Hatchback lives up to its expectations. It's effortless to drive around town; visibility is good, and the accurate steering makes tackling a tight corner or a car park an absolute breeze.
If you want a bit of excitement down country roads, the Civic Hatchback will also fit the bill. Steering is pretty much pinpoint, and the car grips well to the road, giving the driver confidence to have a bit of fun.
If you're looking for on-the-road performance, the Civic Hatchback is the car for you. It's undoubtedly one of the best cars to drive in its class, which is quite a claim considering just how good the Ford Focus is.
Prices for the new Honda Civic Hatchback start from £31,040.00 OTR* or to lease from £376.22 per month.
Looking to lease the Honda Civic Hatchback? Nationwide Vehicle Contracts is one of the UK's largest car leasing brokers and has a range of leasing deals to suit your every need.
Car leasing may be cheaper than buying a Honda Civic Hatchback outright thanks to a low initial payment, fixed monthly costs, and a range of benefits included in your lease deal.
*' On the road' price correct at time of publication and includes one year's road fund license, DVLA first registration fee and number plate fee. Prices are subject to change, always check with your nearest retailer.
