For several years, the Toyota Prius has been the hybrid hatchback choice, but now a new 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid Hatchback challenges the Prius for its throne.
The 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid Hatchback builds on last year’s award-winning sedan with added cargo space and versatile five-door practicality—without sacrificing performance or efficiency. With its 200-hp hybrid powertrain, sleek design, and tech-forward interior, the new hatch delivers a refined driving experience that still feels fun and frugal. The only downside? The seats could use a little more comfort for long hauls.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Sharp handling and loads of grip
- Strong power from turbocharged engine
- Practical for such a sporty car
Cons
- No automatic transmission available
- Limited customization options
- Lots of road noise from the tires
Five doors are better than four
The previous Civic Hybrid came in the sedan form, but that limits your cargo capabilities. The new hatchback version makes it much easier to turn your Civic into a virtual SUV with the generous space offered behind the rear seats that fold down. This new hybrid allows adventurous individuals to bring a surfboard, mountain bike, or skis inside the vehicle, which means protecting the fuel mileage while on the road. Even if you put a rack on top, the hatchback build ensures a greater level of versatility compared to the sedan.
A name you know
Let’s face it: the Toyota Prius grabbed the title of the top hybrid and has never let it go. Honda tried the Insight twice, but both times, it had to be deleted due to lack of interest. Using the Civic platform as the basis for a hybrid makes a lot of sense. The sedan model was a hit last year, which should allow the Honda Civic Hybrid Hatchback to be a big hit. Thankfully, this new Civic model doesn’t have to perform on its own, it’s part of a longstanding name that drivers know and understand, which makes it much easier to accept.
Exactly what the doctor ordered
The new Civic Hybrid Hatchback packages a 200-horsepower powertrain, good looks, and impressive driving dynamics into the versatile package you need. The hatchback doesn’t look much different from the sedan, except for the rear area, which doesn’t lead to a trunk. This new model has 25 cubic feet of cargo room behind the rear seats, which is much more than the 15 cubic-foot trunk offered in the sedan. This is also more space than you’ll find in the Prius, which puts the Civic in the lead in terms of versatility.
Is it efficient enough?
Some Prius models achieve greater than 50 mpg on the highway, but the Honda Civic Hybrid Hatchback does a fine job of matching this with 50 mpg estimated on the highway. This means the new hybrid car is easily efficient enough to give the Prius a run for its money and you don’t have to wait for 20 years for the automaker to realize you need to have some power under the hood to make it more fun to drive.
A connected cabin
Google is the way to go, and Honda embraced this thought by ensuring this new hybrid hatchback was equipped with Google built-in. This means you can use Google Assistant to make calls, set reminders, or navigate with ease using Google Maps. This new Civic also has the benefits of wireless Apple CarPlay to ensure you can easily access your favorite iPhone apps to stay connected when you’re behind the wheel.
Premium safety from Honda
The new Honda Civic Hybrid Hatchback doesn’t skimp on safety features and driver-assistance items. The Honda Sensing suite is designed to make driving easier and help protect you and your passengers. When the features are activated, the sensors automatically provide alerts to ensure proper steering and braking assistance where necessary.
The Honda Sensing Suite includes:
- Collision Mitigation Braking System
- Road Departure Mitigation System
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Lane Keeping Assistance
- Traffic Sign Recognition
The fight is on
Although the new Honda Civic Hybrid Hatchback has to break into the market and prove itself, the fact that it’s a Civic is a great place to begin. The Toyota Prius is an excellent hybrid car, but the new Civic Hybrid should be a fitting challenger and ready to take some of the market share from the Prius.
Will you choose the new Civic Hybrid Hatchback or stick with the Prius when you want a great hybrid car to drive and enjoy?
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