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News & Reviews

Globe Auto - Civic Hybrid Road Test

Subsidies make this hybrid a steal

By JEREMY CATO
From Thursday's Globe and Mail
April 10, 2008 at 12:00 AM EDT

  • 2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID
  • Type: Compact hybrid sedan
  • Price: $26,350; eligible for $2,000 federal ecoAuto rebate and provincial hybrid sales tax rebates
  • Engine: 1.3-litre, inline-four, SOHC; hybrid electric motor
  • Horsepower/torque: 93 hp/89 lb-ft
  • Transmission: CVT
  • Drive: Front-wheel drive
  • Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 4.7 city/4.3 highway; regular gas
  • Alternatives: Toyota Prius, Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid


The federal government's vehicle subsidy program will expire in a few months, so take note: The $2,000 ecoAuto handout on the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid, combined with various provincial subsidies of up to $3,000, make this car a steal.

A $26,350 sticker might come in as low as $21,350, depending on where you live. That's for a four-door city commuter with a combined fuel economy rating of
4.5 litres/100 kilometres. Outstanding.

When you're driving, it can be quite entertaining to watch the average fuelconsumption indicator to the left of the steering wheel on the two-tier dash. It tells you you're saving money. Lots of it, especially when the 20-horsepower electric motor takes over from the 110-horsepower, gas-powered four-cylinder engine.  The Civic Hybrid is perfectly suitable for the daily  drive and is cheap to operate.

In a nutshell, the Civic Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient vehicle in Honda's fleet - and one of Honda's most technologically advanced. I mean, when you pull up to a stop, the four-cylinder engine shuts off until the brake pedal is released. But even in idle stop mode, the hybrid air conditioning compressor keeps working while the engine is off.

Honda calls its hybrid system "Integrated Motor Assist." What Honda has done here is create a fuel-efficient runabout with a kind of electronic supercharger when you need it.


Here's what makes up the IMA: a small, 15-kilowatt, electric motor positioned between the engine and the transmission; an Intelligent Power Unit — the brains of the thing — designed to control the flow of electricity to and from the electric motor; and a compact, nickel-metal hydride battery pack.

Sounds simple, right? Not so.

The electronic brains of the thing allow Honda to squeeze fuel economy and performance out of a clean and fuel-efficient package.

For instance, both engines kick in during  acceleration. During cruising, the car can be powered by either the electric motor alone or the gas engine alone. In fact, the IMA system can deactivate all four of the engine's cylinders in constant cruise mode.

Another critical piece is the continuously variable transmission, or CVT. This is a tranny without fixed gear ratios and no noticeable shift points. It is smooth, and that can be unnerving. Moreover, CVT transmissions have a tendency to "whrr" along as vehicle speed matches the engine's speed. CVTs, for the record, improve fuel economy by 5 to 10 per cent over traditional step transmissions.

The Civic's system is very transparent. The engine shuts down imperceptibly at a stop and when the brake pedal is depressed. Lift your foot and the engine starts up instantly. You barely notice the starting and stopping.

Fuel economy aside, the Civic Hybrid is what  government regulators call an Advanced-Technology Partial Zero-Emissions Vehicle. What's that mean? This Civic is the cleanest hybrid you can buy from an emissions standpoint.  The Civic Hybrid, then, is more than a so-called mild hybrid. Why? It can run on electric power alone, though I tried at low speeds and could not manage that trick.

Nonetheless, it is more sophisticated than the mild hybrids of General Motors. They use an oversized starter motor that allows the gas engine to shut down in coasting, braking or at a full stop. The electric motor keeps power flowing to the accessories while the engine is shut down.

The Civic Hybrid is slightly smaller than Toyota's Prius hatchback with its ultrasophisticated hybrid system. The Prius also qualifies for $2,000 from the federal government and whatever provincial money is out there. The Prius is more fuel-efficient: 4.1 litres/100 km.

For now, the batteries remain a problem with hybrids. They eventually must be replaced.

Honda Canada warranties the batteries for eight years  or 130,000 km, so they won't be a problem for owners during most of the life of the car. But those old  batteries must be recycled or dumped, and that remains an issue with environmentalists.

Day to day, though, the Civic Hybrid is perfectly suitable for the daily drive and is cheap to operate. It is manoeuvrable and decently responsive, and in all other ways it is simply a Civic — well equipped with front and side airbags, automatic climate control, a high-quality audio system and full complement of power
accessories.

All that and thousands in government subsidies to boot.

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