Previewed in concept form earlier this year at the Geneva Auto Show, the 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback is going on sale in the U.S. Produced at Honda’s Swindon UK assembly facility, this Euro-inspired 5-door model remains remarkably true to the aggressive exterior design of the Civic Hatchback prototype while putting its own distinctive spin on Honda’s wildly successful 10th-generation Civic formula.
New Sport and Sport Touring trims
The 2017 Civic Hatchback is available in five different trim grades: LX, Sport, EX, EX-L Navi and a late-arriving, range-topping Sport Touring variant. All are fitted with the same 1.5-liter turbocharged/direct-injected 4-cylinder engine used in other Civics. The LX and Sport hatches feature a 6-speed manual transmission and offer an optional CVT automatic that’s standard-issue in other members of the lineup. In LX/EX/EX-L Navi spec, the engine makes 174 horsepower and either 167 lb-ft (6M) or 162 (CVT) lb-ft of torque. Pony count rises to 180 in the new Sport/Sport Touring versions, while torque moves to 177 lb-ft when its paired with the manual transmission. Output stays at 162 lb-ft when backed by the CVT. As usual, fuel economy is impressive. The 6-speed cars carry 30/39-mpg city/highway EPA numbers, the LX and both EX versions earn 31/40-mpg marks and the Sport/Sport Touring set nets 30/36-mph stats.
Complementing the bold exterior, the Civic Hatchback has the same basic cabin treatment found in its Coupe and Sedan Siblings. It’s impressively roomy with Honda noting these 5-door models have the best-in-class rear-seat legroom (36.0-inches) as well as the largest cargo bay spec of 25.7 cu ft with the rear seat up. All versions come with plenty of standard equipment including a full array of power assists, cruise control, Hill Start Assist, 60/40 split-folding rear seat and air conditioning (now an automatic dual-zone setup in EX and above trims. Those higher trims also add heated front seats, remote start and Honda Display Audio with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The new Sport Touring variant cranks it up a notch with aluminum sport pedals, red-accented instrument illumination and a 540-watt/12-speaker premium audio system.
Like other Civics, the new Hatchback offers the Honda Sensing suite of driver-assist technologies. Standard on the Sport Touring and available on all other trims, it includes Collision Mitigation Braking System, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, Road Departure Mitigation Lane Departure Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow and Auto High-Beam Headlights, which is a first for the Civic.
Also: Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards of 2016
Pricing for the 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback starts at $20,535 for an LX 6-speed, with the new Sport starting at $22,135. The optional CVT bumps those figures by $800. The EX kicks off at $23,635 and the EX-L Navi opens at $26,135.
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