By Mitesh Zaveri & Shrawan Raja
For more than 50 years, the Civic has stood for practicality and consistency, and the Honda Civic Hybrid Sport Touring extends that legacy with its efficient powertrain. After driving the North American-spec model for several days, I found it nails the balance between comfort, refinement, and everyday usability while preserving the traditional Civic simplicity.
Design
The Civic Hybrid looks clean and quite sharp. The front end features a black honeycomb grille with slim LED headlights and L-shaped daytime running lights. All lighting elements are LED, including the DRLs and turn signals, but the rear combination units combine LED with halogen bulbs for the turn indicators and reverse lights.
Functional vents on both sides of the front bumper help airflow, and the Honda badge sits above a gloss-black grille insert. The hybrid sedan rides on 18-inch dual-tone alloy wheels that complement the overall shape. The styling avoids fake vents and unnecessary chrome, maintaining a neat appearance.
The side mirrors are power-adjustable but not power-folding. They integrate LED turn indicators and blind-spot monitoring lights. The Sport Touring trim features a single-camera reversing system, and the camera housing is placed above the registration plate.
Otherwise, the tail section carries the Civic and Hybrid badges in chrome, while the hybrid lettering uses a bluish tint. The bumper is simple, with a raised trunk lip.
Interior & Features
The interior follows the minimalist approach Honda is known for. The cabin feels uncluttered, with a horizontal dashboard design and the signature honeycomb mesh strip that hides the air vents. The small joysticks that control the vent flow feel precise and easy to reach.
Soft-touch materials are applied to the dashboard and upper door panels. The center console features piano-black trim that looks rich but collects fingerprints quickly. The seats are finished in black perforated leather, and the steering wheel and armrests are also wrapped in leather. Build quality feels solid overall, though glossy surfaces could scratch with use.
The Sport Touring trim comes with a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and a 9-inch infotainment system powered by Google’s built-in software. The system includes Google Maps, Assistant, and Play Store, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The interface is intuitive and smooth, and shortcut buttons for volume and navigation keep things practical. The 12-speaker Bose audio system outputs clean and balanced sound with good clarity across frequencies.
The climate controls are fully physical, with the usual knobs for temperature and fan speed. The center control panel feels solid, and the metal-finished dials offer a premium touch. The heated-seat buttons are placed beside the temperature knobs. Both front seats are heated, but ventilation is unavailable at any trim level.
Storage options include a small glove compartment, two flexible cupholders, and a center armrest bin with a sliding tray. The glovebox could have been larger for a car in this segment. The front console includes two USB ports, a 12V socket, and a wireless charging pad, but surprisingly there are no charging ports for the rear passengers.
Seating & Comfort
At 5’11”, I found ingress and egress straightforward. The seat height is just right, and the doors open wide. The front seats are wide, soft, and supportive. The driver’s seat offers eight-way power adjustment but no lumbar control, while the passenger seat has only four-way power movement. Even without lumbar support, I stayed comfortable even during long drives.
The steering wheel is heated, manually adjustable for reach and rake, and feels substantial. All controls are laid out logically, so I never had to look away from the road for basic functions. That said, I missed power-folding mirrors while parking in tight spaces.
Visibility from the driver’s seat is excellent, except for the thick C-pillars that create a mild blind spot when checking over the shoulder. Rearward visibility is fair but limited in the lower portion because of the steeply raked rear glass and high decklid.
The rear bench provides generous space for two adults. The seat base has a slight angle to offer good thigh support. Knee room is adequate even with the front seat adjusted for my height, and the roof cutout adds a tad more headroom. Only passengers over six feet might brush their hair against the headliner.
Three adults can fit across the rear seat for short trips. The armrest with two cupholders is usable, though it sits slightly low. The lack of rear air vents and USB ports feels like a clear omission in this top-end trim. The heated outboard rear seats are welcome, especially for winter driving.
Boot & Practicality
The Civic Hybrid offers 15 cubic feet of rear cargo space, accessible via a low loading lip. The scuff plates on the sill prevent scratches when sliding bags in. Folding the rear seatbacks is done through release levers in the trunk, but you must walk to the rear doors to complete the fold.
The seatbelt in the middle obstructs the opening slightly, and the seatback doesn’t fold completely flat. The boot houses a tire repair kit instead of a spare wheel.
Performance
Power comes from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with two electric motors. One acts as a generator, while the other drives the wheels. The system produces 200 horsepower and 232 pound-feet of torque, sent to the front wheels through an e-CVT.
In city driving, the car operates mostly on electric power, making it quiet and smooth. The transition between motor and engine is seamless. When accelerating hard, the engine starts up quickly and provides extra torque without delay. The e-CVT mimics stepped gear shifts, which reduces the typical drone associated with CVTs.
Throttle response feels sharp in Sport mode. Eco mode dulls it slightly but helps maintain efficiency. The steering gains more weight in Sport, but remains light in city use. The turning radius is 11.6 meters, slightly wider than the non-hybrid Civic’s 11 meters, which I noticed while making U-turns.
Ride & Handling
The Civic Hybrid drives with poise and balance. The suspension tuning favors comfort but allows enough firmness to keep the body controlled through corners. Over broken pavement, the ride feels composed and free of harshness.
Steering feedback is excellent for an electric system. It responds precisely to small inputs and gives good on-center feel. Highway stability is reassuring, and lane changes are smooth and predictable. The brakes are progressive, with natural pedal feel and strong bite under hard stops.
Efficiency & NVH
In mixed driving, I averaged around 4.7 liters per 100 kilometers (about 50 mpg). On highway runs, it dropped to a staggering 3.5 liters per 100 kilometers (about 67 mpg). The long-term average hovered near 5.6 liters per 100 kilometers (about 42 mpg). These numbers make it one of the most efficient sedans in its class.
Noise levels are well managed. The laminated windshield cuts wind noise, and the suspension system is tuned to isolates bumps effectively. While tire noise from the 18-inch wheels is audible on coarse surfaces, I wouldn’t describe it as intrusive. The cabin stays calm at highway speeds.
Safety
The Civic Hybrid includes a full suite of driver-assistance systems: adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, and blind-spot monitoring. There are 12 airbags, including knee airbags for both front occupants and side airbags for rear passengers.
The single reverse camera is a weakness that needs to be corrected in the next-gen model. The image is grainy, dark, and framed in a square format that doesn’t fill the screen. Even in daylight, it struggles to show depth and contrast. A 360-degree system should be standard at this level.
Pricing
In Canada, pricing starts at about CAD 37,071 for the Sport Hybrid, rising to CAD 40,571 for the Sport Touring Hybrid (Selling Price). In the U.S., pricing (2026 Honda Civic) ranges between USD 22,295 to USD 32,295 (Starting MSRP) for the Sport Hybrid and Sport Touring Hybrid, respectively.
TopElectricSUV says
After a week of mixed driving, the Civic Hybrid Sport Touring impressed me with its refinement, fuel efficiency, and practicality. The missing ventilated seats, lack of rear charging ports, and subpar reverse camera are notable drawbacks, but they don’t distract from its strengths. The vehicle is quiet, comfortable, and genuinely enjoyable in everyday conditions.
If you want a compact sedan that delivers high mpg without sacrificing refinement, comfort or space, the 2025 Civic Hybrid deserves a spot at the very top of your shortlist.
An automobile engineer by training, I’ve analyzed the global car market since 2005, with a keen focus on EVs since 2008. My journey in online automotive publishing spans 17 years, during which I have reviewed cutting-edge automotive technologies and interviewed leading global CEOs and vehicle developers.
