Honda has done the unthinkable and gone hybrid-only on the Civic in Australia. The petrol-only base car is gone. Both remaining variants, e:HEV L and e:HEV LX, use the same series-parallel hybrid system that lets the petrol engine drive the wheels directly at highway speed and hand over to the electric motor everywhere else.
What you are buying
A 2.0 L Atkinson-cycle petrol engine paired with two electric motors. Total combined output is 135 kW with 315 Nm of motor torque. There is no traditional gearbox: the system uses a single fixed ratio for the electric motor and a clutch that brings the engine in directly at cruising speed. The result is around 4.5 L/100 km combined, and a drive that feels mostly electric in town.
Cartell Assessment
The new Civic is a grown-up car. It is more expensive than a Corolla Hybrid and that is the trade-off: you are paying for the better cabin, the better tune of the hybrid system, and the longer service intervals. If you want a small hatch that does not feel like a downgrade from your previous car, this is the one.
AU Outlook
Civic e:HEV L sits in the low-$50k drive-away range, e:HEV LX in the high-$50k. Hybrid-only positioning means there is no cheap option to walk into the dealer for; cross-shop is Toyota Corolla ZR Hybrid and Mazda 3 G25 Astina.
The spec sheet
- Power
- 135 kW (system, combined)
- Torque
- 315 Nm (motor)
- Drive
- FWD, direct drive hybrid
- Fuel
- 4.5 L/100 km (combined)
- Seats
- 5
- Warranty
- 5 years / unlimited km
- Safety
- ANCAP 5-star
Trim levels & pricing
| Trim | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| e:HEV L | from $50,990 drive-away (verify) | Hybrid, 17 inch wheels, Honda Sensing safety pack |
| e:HEV LX | from $55,990 drive-away (verify) | Adds leather, sunroof, premium audio, bigger wheels |
Prices indicative — see the manufacturer for current drive-away pricing.
