Honda Civic hybrid 2012 review: snapshot

New technology comes at a price. And at $35,990, the hybrid version of the Civic is the most expensive by a country kilometre. That's $5000 more than the big ticket Sport (everyone likes a sport) but is the extra dosh worth it?

Engine

It's powered by a combination of petrol and electric motors. The 1.5-litre four cylinder petrol engine is the primary source of power, assisted when necessary by a 17kW electric motor. Together, they produce 82kW of power at 5500 revs and 172Nm of torque between 1000 and 3500 revs.

You can't plug it in. The battery recharges itself as you're going along. It's a new Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) number that's lighter and more powerful than the nickel-metal hydrid (NiMH) battery that it replaces.

Performance

Okay. In a word. There's enough there to satisfy undemanding drivers, but those buyers attracted by this car will be more interested in the technology and fuel consumption. The electric motor is designed to provide extra oomph during acceleration, but once you're up and running it cuts out as the system goes into charge mode.

Drive is to the front wheels through a CVT continuously variable auto with its characteristic slur. To the inexperienced it might sound like the car is getting ready to blow up - but of course it's not.

Fuel consumption

It uses a claimed 4.4 litres of fuel per 100km, slightly more than the Toyota Prius at 3.9 litres/100km. We've been getting 6.0 litres/100km.

Safety

The Civic gets a full five stars for crash safety, with a long list of standard safety gear including six airbags, next-generation Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), an anti-lock braking system (ABS) with Brake Assist and a new Motion Adaptive Electric Power Steering.

Comfort

It's a biggish small car that doesn't compromise on space. The seats are comfortable and the instruments all large and easy to read/use. The styling however is conservative, apart from the large digital speedo set above the other dials.

Goodies

The new Multi-Information Display (i-MID) is pretty cool, but unlike the Insight it misses out on satnav which is not available as an option either (different buyers we're told). Bluetooth is standard along with a USB Audio Interface for music players.

Competitors

The Prius of course and perhaps Honda's own cheaper Insight which is slightly smaller but boasts more goodies. You might also like to look at some of the incredibly fuel efficient diesels too. Electric cars at this stage are too expensive.