The new, 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid arrives as part of an mid-cycle update to the Japanese brand’s compact mainstay. You also see new technology and tweaked styling.

What’s Good More and more efficient power from the 2.0-liter, two-motor, hybrid system. Retains easy and enjoyable driving nature.

What Could Improve Wind and road noise only competitive. EPA rated fuel economy numbers hard to match. Second row seat bottoms a little low for adults.

My Conclusion The updated 11th generation Civic still delivers fantastic driving fun and now does it with a lot less fuel. Superb.

OVERVIEW

Honda updated the eleventh generation Civic for 2025 and completely overhauled the powertrain in the process. Engineers chucked the turbocharged 1.5-liter to the bin and replaced with a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, sometimes with electric motor help. Out of trims offered, the base LX and Sport trim get the 2.0-liter. The Sport Hybrid and Sport Touring Hybrid get the two-motor hybrid system attached.

Other updates include a revised front fascia and new technology inside. Honda adding Google built-in tops my personal list of added goodies. Google built-in includes Maps, Play Store, and Assistant. Hybrid trims also received addition work to improve NVH.

Powertrain

Hybrid trim Civic powertrains offer up to 200 horsepower to play with and an unspecified amount of torque. I speculate that means you get the electric motor’s peak of 232 lb.-ft. Stout number for a compact sedan, albeit one the government considers a midsize.

Electricity plays the main role in the power game. The drive motor of the hybrid system offers 181 horsepower and 232 lb.-ft of torque. The 2.0-liter engine mainly works with the generator motor to produce electricity. But, with the help of clutch packs, the engine will occasionally directly propel the wheels along as well. It produces a peak of 141 horsepower and 134 lb.-ft of torque.

Because of superior flexibility of electric motors, the hybrid system replaces any kind of transmission. For all lower speed activity, it’s all electric motor, all the time, the engine only helps when its speed aligns well with wheel speed and clutch packs join them up.

Honda built a dynamic, responsive, and powerful system with the hybrid. Even with its added weight, the 2025 Civic enjoys a better weight to power ratio than the outgoing turbo model, 16.3 pounds per horsepower instead of 17.1. It feels quick and torquey and responsive. Yet, the EPA says you can squeeze 50 miles out of a gallon of gas in the city, 47 on the highway, 49 combined.

Chassis

Little changed in the chassis department for the Civic. You still get struts up front and a multilink set up in the rear, it is a four-wheel-independent suspension.

That is a good thing. This base compact sedan drives impressively well. It’s super easy to find the limit around a corner with little drama and dance around it as you please.

One difference is weight distribution. The hybrid system adds weight up front, as a result Honda burdened the Civic with 64 percent of the weight on its front axle. Mercifully, you only really feel it driving over sharp undulations in the road, or when navigating a particularly pock marked piece of pavement.

On the open road, cabin isolation leaves a little room for improvement. Honda keeps most of the wind out, I did not hear any whistles or anything major around the window seams and sideview mirror. But a fair amount of road noise comes through. Concrete surfaces make the most noise. Overall, it’s competitive, but not class leading.

The ride is a touch on the stiff side, but I personally find the ride, handling compromise pretty much perfect. It’s plenty compliant for everyday driving, yet still fun on back roads. More fun than just about anything in its class.

Details and Inside

Honda technically built a midsize car with the latest generation Civic. At 184.7 inches long, 70.9 inches wide, and 55.7 inches tall, you get 99 cubic feet of cabin space inside. And 15 cubic feet of trunk space, too.

The second row feel reasonably comfortable for adults for short trips. Though thigh support is only so so. You will hear complaints after much more than 30 minutes. The front row, on the other hand, offers plenty of space and several gadgets to boot.

In the Sport Touring trim, you get a nine-inch center display that includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. As well as Google Built-In, replete with Google Maps, Google Play Store, and Google Assistant. With the assistant, you can keep your hands on the wheel and adjust several things, like the dual-zone climate control. And keep the smartphone charged on the wireless pad sitting just ahead of the cupholders.

Sport Touring trims also get leather wrapped seats, which also offer plenty of upper and lower bolstering to keep you cozy for a long trip. Plenty of power adjustment, too, though you go without lumbar adjustment, which bummed me out a little bit.

in conclusion

In the updated Honda Civic, you get a lot more without giving much of anything up. You get more power, better fuel economy, more technology, and very similar road manners.

Yes, the Civic gained a bit of weight. But it manages it well. This is still the free spirited, happy to hustle fun machine that you come to expect in compact Hondas. The driving pleasure is still there. To me, that’s such a joy. And, in today’s world, such a relief.

COMPETITORS
Hyundai Elantra
Toyota Corolla

SPECIFICATIONS
2025 Honda Civic Sport Touring Hybrid: 4-door, 5-seat, sedan
Base price: $32,845
Price as Tested: $33,300

Powertrain: 2.0-liter I-4 hybrid
Engine Power: 141 horsepower at 6000 rpm
Engine Torque: 134 lb.-ft at 4500 rpm
Elec. Motor Power: 181 horsepower between 5000-6000 rpm
Elec. Motor Torque: 232 lb.-ft between 0-2000 rpm
Total System Power: 200 horsepower
Total System Torque: 232 lb.-ft (my own speculation)
Transmissions: Hybrid system clutch pack, no transmission
Drive: front-wheel-drive

Fuel Economy in MPG and range
50 city
47 highway
49 combined
Driving range: 519 miles

Dimensions
Length: 184.8 inches
Width: 70.9 inches
Height: 55.7 inches
Wheelbase: 107.7 inches

Weights and Capacities
Curb weight: 3252 lbs.  
Interior volume: 99 cu ft
Trunk volume: 15 cu ft

Calculated weight to power (lbs./HP): 16.3:1
Mfr’s claimed 0-60 mph: NA seconds
Mfr’s claimed Top Speed: NA mph
Government classified size: midsize car

Options: Premium paint, $455

What Honda just did to the Civic is similar to what happened to the Accord