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Honda Civic Hybrid Saloon review

2006 - 2010 (change model)
Parkers overall rating: 3 out of 53.0

At a glance

Price new £16,766 - £21,510
Used prices £1,319 - £4,216
Road tax cost £10
Insurance group 16
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Fuel economy Not tested to latest standards
Range 671 miles
View full specs for a specific version

Available fuel types

Hybrid

Pros & cons

PROS

Good fuel economy, excellent build quality, futuristic interior design, roomy

CONS

Dull styling compared to hatch, sluggish performance, engine noisy when pushed

Written by David Ross Published: 6 June 2019 Updated: 6 June 2019

Overview

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.