The new Honda Civic Hybrid

New Honda Civic Hybrid

The Civic Hybrid has Honda’s CVT known as Multimatic S, which is the same as before. There are claims of improved operating efficiency with a wide ratio strategy employed for the higher gears. The increased torque has required an increase in clutch capacity too.

As befits the Civic Hybrid, there are some items in and around the car to distinguish it from the normal Civic. The instrument panel has the same design but there is the IMA meter which tells the driver when the hybrid system is running on the petrol engine and when the battery is getting recharged. There is also a real-time fuel consumption meter adjacent to the digital speedometer.

Driving the Civic Hybrid is not much different in feel from the normal Civic, though the strong acceleration is noticeable. If the driver is not informed of the powertrain, he might actually think he is in the 1.8-litre Civic, which says a lot about the Honda Hybrid System because the engine it uses has a 1.3-litre displacement. The handling characteristics are fairly similar too but subjectively, the new Civic Hybrid feels less sporty than the new Toyota Prius which this writer also had a chance to drive before.

The IMA system consists of an ultra-thin DC brushless electric motor mounted between the engine and the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) drivetrain; this provides additional torque and power by engaging during vehicle acceleration. At low speed cruising (about 40kmh), the motor solely powers the vehicle.

All the electric power created by the motor is stored in a compact battery box called the Intelligent Power Unit (IPU) - consisting of a rear-mounted compact nickel metal hydride battery and power control unit - which controls the flow of electricity to and from the electric motor. Recharging takes place when braking, slowing down or traveling downhill; battery life is claimed to be about five to seven years.

New Honda Civic Hybrid

Honda Civic Hybrid Video