Honda refines powertrain, enhances tech on '22 Civic

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 corner stone of Honda's U.S. and Canadian lineups and a key entry point to the brand, even as younger buyers embrace crossovers and Canadian and U.S. car sales continue to fall.

Civic is Honda’s longest-running automotive nameplate and the best-selling car in Canada for 23 consecutive years. Canadians purchasing more than 2.2 million Civics since 1973, the automaker says. Civic is also the No. 1 selling model in North America – car or light truck – with first-time buyers, Millennials, Gen Z and multicultural customers, since the launch of the tenth-generation model in 2015, Honda said.

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 nine-inch infotainment touch screen and a Bose premium sound system.

On the LX, EX and Sport trims, the standard 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine produces the same 158 hp as the outgoing model but comes with a standard idle-stop system.

On the higher Touring trim, the Civic comes with a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 180 hp, for a six hp increase over the outgoing model, Honda said.

Estimated fuel economy for the LX and EX models is 7.9 litres per 100 kilometres in the city, 6.1 L/100 km highway and 7.1 L/100 km combined. The Sport trim uses 8.2 litres per 100 kilometres in the city, 6.5 L/100 km highway and 7.4 L/100 km combined. The numbers for the Touring trim are: 7.8 litres per 100 kilometres in the city, 6.2 L/100 km highway and 7.1 L/100 km combined.

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.

The Civic sedan will be assembled in Alliston, Ont., and for the first time, the Civic hatchback will be manufactured in the United States, at the company’s Greensburg, Indiana plant.

Greg Layson of Automotive News Canada contributed to this report.