LOS ANGELES — Honda’s latest, redesigned Civic is a careful evolution of the popular compact sedan with more mature exterior styling, a simplified interior with enhanced tech, more premium materials at key touchpoints and drivetrain refinements in line with the evolutionary theme.
The 2022 Civic sedan will go on sale this summer with styling that accentuates its sporting nature — an elongated hood, low beltline and door-mounted side mirrors to improve visibility and maintain clean styling, Honda said Wednesday.
The redesign is aimed at maintaining a cornerstone of Honda’s U.S. lineup and a key entry point to the brand, even as younger buyers embrace crossovers and U.S. car sales continue to fall.
“Civic has been the go-to choice for compact-car buyers for almost 50 years, and the all-new 11th-generation Honda Civic builds on that leadership with simple and sporty styling inside and out,” said Dave Gardner, executive vice president of national operations at American Honda Motor Co.
Pricing is expected to be released closer to the sales launch.
The Civic is the first of Honda’s redesigned models to feature a simplified interior that minimizes clutter and driver distractions while providing easy access to controls for infotainment, climate and other functions.
New to the Civic interior is a honeycomb accent from door to door, “creating a dramatic visual dividing line between the audio, information displays and the climate controls, while the intricate flow-through design conceals the air vents that would otherwise mar the uncluttered and harmonious look,” Honda said.
The Civic, also available as a hatchback later in the year, offers newly optional premium touches on the high-level Touring trim, such as an all-digital instrument display measuring 10.2 inches, new 9-inch infotainment touch screen and a Bose premium sound system.
On the lower LX and Sport trims, the standard 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine produces the same 158 hp as the outgoing model but comes with a standard idle-stop system and new catalytic converter design to improve fuel efficiency by 1 mpg in city driving, according to EPA estimates.
On the higher EX and Touring trims, the Civic comes with a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 180 hp, for a 6 hp increase over the outgoing model, Honda said. The turbo engine also gains 1 mpg in the city cycle, Honda said.
Estimated fuel economy differs on every trim for 2022 by a small margin. The Sport trim is the least efficient at 30 mpg in the city and 33 mpg in city and highway driving combined. The EX trim is the most efficient, with fuel economy estimated at 33 mpg in the city and 36 mpg in combined driving, Honda said.
Honda has also adjusted the Civic’s ride and handling.
The automaker’s standard Honda Sensing safety suite has been updated with a new camera system that can more quickly identify pedestrians, bicyclists and other vehicles, along with road lines and road signs, the automaker said. The Civic also has Honda’s new front-seat airbags designed to reduce head and neck injuries.