Honda Civic hybrid spied, but Honda rules it out for US
The electrified Civic was caught testing in Japan alongside the Insight, but now we know it's not coming to America.
The Civic's getting electrified.
It's been Honda Civic-palooza recently with the new 11th-generation car revealed, the hatchback, a new Si and the upcoming Type R version teased. But there's another variant on the way: a new Civic hybrid. Photos of the car testing in Japan surfaced on the Civic XI forum on Monday and specifically show an electrified Civic hatchback testing alongside an Insight.
We know the Civic hatchback will be a hybrid-only option over in Europe, but right now, it's not coming to America. "At this time, there is no room for a Civic Hybrid in our lineup," a Honda spokesperson said in a statement, "as we have the Insight successfully competing in the compact hybrid sedan market today." Bummer.
As for the photos, the Civic hybrid doesn't look a whole lot different than the standard hatchback. The front fascia looks slightly different, but the whole design sticks to the sleek, smoother look of the 11th-generation car. Not a bad thing if you like the new car's design, but don't expect any major changes for what will be the most frugal Civic of the bunch.
Maybe one day Honda will change its mind on the Civic hatchback hybrid. Despite the Insight being quite a lovely car, a hybridized Civic hatchback could perform a little better with American car buyers looking for more utility. For now, we won't know, as it will remain forbidden fruit for North Americans.
