Honda showed off the Civic Hatchback, the latest addition to its 10th generation Civic models, on Monday. The 2017 Civic Hatchback, which will arrive at U.S. dealers this fall, shares the same platform as the new Civic sedan and coupe models the company launched earlier this year. The Civic Hatchback will come in EX, EX-L, LX, Sport, and Sport Touring models.
What makes the Honda Civic hatchback special?
Honda’s R&D teams in Europe and Japan jointly developed the new Civic hatchback, which is being built at Honda’s U.K. manufacturing facility in Swindown.
In a news release, the senior vice president and general manager of the Honda Division of American Honda Motor Co., Jeff Conrad, said that for Honda in Europe, the Civic Hatchback has been a staple, but for fans in the U.S., it has been the “forbidden fruit” for a long time.
“Now, we’re bringing this sporty, stylish and versatile Civic Hatchback to North America, as we amp up the performance of our incredible Civic lineup with each new Civic model,” Conrad said.
The 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback will feature a 1.5-liter, turbocharged in-line 4-cylinder engine that can deliver a maximum output of 174 horsepower and 162 lb.-ft. of torque on the lower trim levels. It will come with an upgraded Sport and Sport Touring drivetrain with 180 horsepower and 162 lb.-ft. of torque.
All trim levels will offer a continuously variable automatic transmission, and on the lower LX, Sport and EX trims, a 6-speed manual transmission will be offered. The company expects the Civic Hatchback to deliver an EPA-rated fuel economy of about 31 miles per gallon city, 40 highway and 34 combined.
The Honda Civic Hatchback’s stands apart from its rivals — the Toyota Yaris, Volkswagen Golf GTI hatchbacks, and Ford Focus – in terms of best-in-class rear legroom, cargo volume and roomy interior.
To support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
According to Honda, the 2017 Civic Hatchback will support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but only in the higher-end trims. Using Display Audio, the EX, EX-L, and Sport Touring versions will support the technologies. The automaker has not revealed the cost of the Display Audio option for EX and EX-L drivers.
There was a time when only high-end vehicles offered the technology, but in the past year, that has changed a lot as brands like Kia, Ford, Chevrolet and Hyundai have added more cars. Despite this, there are some noticeable gaps in Honda’s support, of which the most notable is the Fit subcompact, which doesn’t come with CarPlay even on trims equipped with Display Audio.
The new Sport Touring model will also include LED headlights, driver-assist technologies and Honda Sensing safety as standard features. Honda Sensing safety includes road-departure mitigation and forward collision warning.
The prices for the Honda Civic Hatchback are not known as of now. The pricing will be announced closer to the launch date. This five-door hatchback will be used as a basis for the first Civic Type-R to hit the U.S., which will happen next year. U.S. dealerships will get the non-Type-R hatchback this fall.
