Following the initial announcement from January this year, Honda releases more information regarding the return of the Civic hybrid on the US market. The model in sedan and hatchback versions will join the CR-V and Accord hybrids in the brand’s range of electrified models in America.
The first to arrive will be the Civic Hybrid sedan, which will go into production in the spring of next year at Honda’s plant in Ontario, Canada. It will be followed by the hatchback version of the same model, which will hit the assembly lines at Honda’s Indiana Auto Plant. The two-motor electric powertrain will be built by Honda Transmission Plant in Ohio. Last but not least, the 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle gas engine will be made at the Anna Engine Plant in Ohio.
Gallery: New Honda Civic e:HEV Hybrid (Europe)
"Our associates are proud to play an important role in the Honda electrification strategy by adding production of the new Civic hybrid to the CR-V hybrid we now build,” Roxanna Metz, plant co-lead of the Indiana Auto Plant, comments. “Sales of Honda hybrid models already represent more than one-quarter of our sales in the US and we are proud to help our customers transition to the electrified future with our ‘made in Indiana’ products.”
Unfortunately, Honda is not ready to disclose the output numbers of the hybrid powertrain that will sit in the Civic Hybrid. In Europe, the four-cylinder mill supported by two electric motors generates 181 horsepower (135 kilowatts) and 232 pound-feet (315 Newton-meters) of torque. The setup also includes Honda’s e-CVT. The Accord Hybrid, in turn, uses a similar hybrid engine, which develops a little more power at 204 hp (152 kW) and 247 lb-ft (334 Nm).
Speaking of the larger sedan, Honda says more than 50 percent of new Acccord buyers go for the hybrid version and the Japanese company estimates that at least 40 percent of new Civic sales will be hybrids when the Civic Hybrid launches.
Bear in mind the vehicle depicted in the gallery above is the Euro-spec Civic Hybrid. The US model should look identical and is expected to get the 9.0-inch infotainment screen and 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster from its European sibling as standard equipment.
