Honda Civic Hybrid Saloon (06-10) - Review Review by Dan Harrison on 12 May 2006 Last Updated: 27 April 2009 It may look like simply a saloon version of the Civic hatchback we're all familiar with, but in fact this is a very special Honda. It's actually a hybrid so, like the Toyota Prius, it uses an electric motor along with a conventional petrol engine. The electric motor assists the engine by giving it a boost during acceleration to improve economy - it also runs the car at idle to reduce emissions. The clever bit is when you brake or coast, the energy is captured to charge the battery for the electric motor. That means you get the power of a 1.6-litre engine, with the fuel consumption of a 1.1-litre. It works up to a point, but the car does feel underpowered and needs to be revved hard to get decent performance - which sees fuel economy rapidly drop. 3 out of 5 Other Honda reviews Summary Facts & Figures Equipment Driving & Performance Comfort Costs Safety & Reliability Buying & Selling Also Consider Company Car Info Owners' Reviews Gallery 3.5 out of 5 Comfort Thanks to the saloon bodystyle, the Civic is spacious inside with enough room in the back for three abreast. The centre seat is a little tight but luckily a flat floor (the transmission tunnel that runs down the centre of most cars is hidden away) makes for decent leg and foot space. Around town, it's pretty quiet, but accelerate with any commitment and the engine revs rise to an intrusive level and stay there thanks to the CVT gearbox. View full gallery 3 out of 5 Practicality The Hybrid is only available as a saloon (to give room to house the batteries for the electric motor), which inhibits its use as a family car. It can't cope with awkward or outsized loads as well as the hatchback does. That said, the boot is a decent size and good shape - more than adequate for the weekly shop. There are a number of on-board storage areas too, including a large glovebox and good-sized door pockets. Get a Honda Civic Hybrid Saloon valuation View full gallery How does the boot space compare? Volkswagen Jetta (06-10) 527 litres Ford Focus Saloon (05-09) 526 litres Toyota Prius Hatchback (04-09) 408 litres Honda Civic Hybrid Saloon (06-10) 350 litres 3 out of 5 Behind the wheel The interior of Hybrid doesn't have the same wow factor of the hatchback, but it is well laid out and reasonably attractive while the big, chunky buttons are easy to use on the move. The driving position is good, with an unobstructed view of the road ahead, plenty of seat and steering wheel adjustment and lots of space. The steering wheel not only looks stylish - it's good to hold and houses stereo controls. View full gallery Car Valuations Find used car prices with Parkers accurate car valuations. Find out more Honda Civic cars for sale We have 50 models like this for sale. Find Honda Civic cars for sale Previous: Driving & Performance Next: Costs