Overview

The Honda Civic is a fiendishly clever hybrid car now in its 11th generation. It embodies Honda’s approach to family car design, distilling the range into a single powertrain option that somehow manages to be the best of both worlds.

In fact, this family hatchback is so good, we crowned it our Best Medium Family Car in the Parkers New Car Awards 2024. Our testers love how simple the trim levels are, what good value it offers and its talented hybrid engine. It dispenses with a transmission altogether, instead, for much of the time the engine acts solely as a generator, charging the batteries to power the electric motor. And don’t think it’s all tech. The interior rivals anything from its European contemporaries, with particular care bestowed upon the main touch points such as the heating controls and steering wheel.

Yet, it’s on price parity with key rivals such as the SEAT Leon and Ford Focus. As hybrid rivals go, the Toyota Corolla is a tough act to follow, and plug-in hybrid versions of the VW Golf or Peugeot 308 provide an extra layer of electrification too. If you want a fire breathing 329hp model, there’s also the Honda Civic Type R.

Is it all enough to stop family buyers flocking away to compact SUVs? We’re not sure, but it ought to be. There are real benefits to choosing a car like this instead of a crossover, from fuel economy to a more pleasant driving experience to – genuinely – standing out from the crowd a little bit.

Keep reading to find out what we think of the new Honda Civic’s interior, practicality and engines. We’ll tell you what it’s like to drive and how much it’ll cost, what it’s like to run over an extended period, and, of course, whether you should go out and buy one.