Our real-world measurements of the Honda Civic e:HEV hybrid: Can it worry the Corolla?

With the addition of the new Civic to the catalogue, Honda has won its bet: starting this year, it will no longer only offer electrified models for sale. However, the sporty variant of the Type R remains a small exception. For those who do not want to spend all their time at the pump, the compact is offered with a single 184 hp hybrid engine, which not only has one and the only competitor: the Toyota Corolla. After a fairly positive first test, we were keen to pass the Hiroshima novelty on our measuring bench to see if it could show its Japanese competitor accurately enough. Answers !

Note that the Corolla has recently been redesigned and its hybrid engines have gained a handful of horsepower when running: +18hp and 140hp total for the less powerful of the two, +12hp and 196hp for the one going into direct confrontation with the Civic. But since we haven’t had the opportunity to try out this new version, let alone measure it, we’ll content ourselves here with the measurements we made on the brand’s 184 hp version, which is still on the market.

Performance: doesn’t matter

One thing is for sure, it’s not performance that makes the Civic win over the Corolla. Even if the first mentioned is significantly longer and could almost be considered a family (+ 18 cm, 4.55 m), it is not heavier. Both weigh exactly 1,490 kg. Even with similar performance (184 hp each), acceleration and pick-up are on the same level. The same top speed of 180 km/h, the same acceleration with the correct 8.6 s in the exercise from 0 to 100 km/h and the same times with a very good 5.6 s from 80 to 120 km/h, this is what the novelty looks like done it on purpose to copy his rival! Warning, the Corolla could do a little better in its new 196 hp version.

Sobriety: duel at the top

With an average of 5.7 l/100 km, the Honda Civic reproduces the same excellent performance as the 184 hp Corolla 2.0. Both can boast of being among the most reserved hybrids that we have had the privilege of measuring. However, there are some differences between the two in the details. Where the Corolla excels in the city, consuming little less than a Clio E-Tech Hybrid (4.5l/100km versus 4.4l/100km for the French), the Civic excels on the motorway, where it all , who say, Schnabel nails, that a hybrid inevitably consumes a lot on this course. There, at 6.9 l/100 km, it is hardly any worse than its little sister, the Jazz (6.8 l/100 km). The Civic also performs slightly better than the Corolla on the road. Good work!

Conclusion: a serious competitor

While waiting to test the 196 hp Corolla, it’s clear that the Civic Hybrid comes with serious arguments and seems to be inspired by its rival, and in particular by its positive aspects: sobriety, to name a few. If our test of the redesigned 140hp Corolla allowed us to see that Toyota had made an effort on the fun part, the Civic really surprised us on that point. Finally, where Toyota reserves the most powerful hybrid engine for the high GR Sport trim level, the Civic’s range is more extensive. If you are willing to forgo certain equipment, you can save a lot of money on the final bill. It remains to accept a streamlined silhouette that doesn’t necessarily appeal to Europeans who are less rushing to Honda dealerships since the Civic ditched the eccentric look of generations 8 (2006-2011) and 9 (2011-2017). .