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YARMOUTH PORT, Mass. – I was recently reminded about the wonderfulness of a hatchback automobile — never the darling of American consumers — after a week in a refreshed for 2025 Honda Civic Hatchback Sport Touring Hybrid which I stuffed to the gills during numerous trips while moving from my old home to my new one.
And I was able to do this while enjoying the drive in the small, zippy five-door which not only could get to 60 miles per hour from rest in 6.2 seconds (according to Car and Driver) but did it while returning 49.6 miles per gallon of gasoline!
Honda was rewarded for its engineering achievements with this refreshed/modernized Civic when the compact was named the 2025 North American Car of the Year.
Hybrid powertrain at the heart of the ’25 Sport Touring
Honda breaks out the gas-electric hybrids from the internal-combustion-engined variants in presenting the 2025 Civics, offering this powertrain in both four-door sedan and five-door hatchback versions.
A 2.0-liter, double-overhead-camshaft, direct fuel-injected, Atkinson-cycle engine combined with a pair of electric motors, mounted inline, produce 200 horsepower and 232 pounds-feet of torque. This makes the hybrid, introduced for the 2025 model year, the most powerful Civic not having an R in its name.
There is no conventional transmission; the Civic Hybrids utilize a direct-drive system (like a battery electric vehicle) with the electric traction motor providing motivational power at all but highway cruising speeds (when ICE power goes directly to the front wheels). Otherwise, the ICE powers the smaller electric motor, essentially a generator which, along with a small battery, provides electricity for the traction motor.
The vehicle does modulate the ICE’s RPMs during acceleration and deceleration, imitating a transmission upshifting and downshifting, but this is for the driver’s enjoyment (and does not have anything to do with vehicle operation).
The entire hybrid process is seamless.
As mentioned, the Civic Hybrid is quick, quicker than all but the very sporting R version while still producing superb fuel economy. My initial period in the hot hatch was a 57-mile hiqhway excursion with the car’s computer reporting just over 42 mpg. Transitioning to more rural/suburban Cape Cod motoring resulted in the overall mileage growing to more than 48 mpg; again, a typical progression of hybrids and EVs (and the opposite of ICE vehicles). The 2025 Civic Hatchback Sport Touring Hybrid has a federal Environmental Protection Agency rating of 48 mpg overall and 50 in urban driving and 45 on the highway which seem like very attainable figures.
A four-step regenerative-braking system both aids in operating efficiency by returning decelerative energy to the battery for tractive use as well as saving wear-and-tear on the friction-braking system.
Steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters allow the driver to set the amount of regenerative activity. The vehicle can be brought almost to a complete stop with the strongest setting; not quite one-pedal-driving capability. It is most aggressive when the Civic Hatchback is in Sport Mode, one of three driver-selectable modes (Econ, Normal and Individual, a customization one offered in the Sport and Sport Touring models).
Honda describes these modes as featuring “pre-set performance settings for powertrain response, steering assist level and gauge cluster layout.”
The platform lives up to the powertrain
Honda cars are known for providing well engineered chassis dynamics, a tradition maintained in the refreshed 2025 Civic Hatchback Sport Touring Hybrid. The front setup features MacPherson-type struts and a tubular 26.5×4.5mm stabilizer bar while a multi-link setup with 17.5mm solid stabilizer bar operates in the rear.
Steering is a quick 2.2 turns lock-to-lock with an 11.5:1 ratio and a turning diameter of 38.1 feet curb-to-curb.
Backing up the regenerative-braking system is the hydraulic one which incorporates anti-lock (ABS), electric servo brake, power assist, electronic-brake distribution (EBD), brake assist, and ventilated front rotors of 11.1 inches and solid rear ones of 10.2 inches.
The 18-inch alloy wheels with Matte Shark Gray inserts wear 235/40 R18-91W all-season tires.
Latest Honda Sensing® ADAS
The latest version of Honda Sensing®, the company’s umbrella description of its primary advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), includes adaptive cruise control; collision mitigation braking system; lane-keeping assist; road-departure mitigation; traffic-jam assist; forward-collision warning; lane-departure warning; traffic-sign recognition; blind-spot information system; low-speed-braking control; rear cross-traffic monitor; auto high-beam headlights, and parking sensors (front and rear).
These features, from the powertrain to the platform to the technological advances help make the Civic Sport Touring Hybrid both easier and safer to drive aggressively, regardless of the road and traffic conditions. Even with the rear seats folded and the cargo area filled to the ceiling, I could drive the Honda with verve and complete confidence.
The 2025 Civic Hatchback retains the fun-to-drive aspects for which the model has been known.
Interior up to modern times
The Sport Touring represents the top of the two-model Hatchback Hybrid range (and the top of the overall Civic Hatchback range) meaning it is very well equipped. The seats are leather trimmed (heated up front), as are the steering wheel and shifter. The front seats are power adjustable, as well.
A dual-zone automatic climate-control system maintains environmental comfort and if sunshine is desired, a standard moonroof can fill the cabin with light.
The nine-inch color LCD touchscreen at the top of the dash controls the infotainment system which incorporates the Google operating system with Google Maps (standard navigation) and Google Assistant which can be instructed (through voice recognition) to perform helping the driver maintain concentration on driving.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a 12-speaker BOSE Premium Audio System are also part of the standard infotainment package.
Civic hybrid value
The Honda Civic has occupied a top position in the compact (and in earlier iterations, subcompact) segments for years and the 2025 in either ICE or, as reviewed, hybrid powertrain maintains this position.
The Sport Touring Hatchback I drove had a list price of $33,150 to which Honda added Urban Gray paint for $455; destination and handling added $1,150 for a total of $34,755.
Fun, utility and efficiency – the 2025 Honda Civic Hatchback Sport Touring Hybrid is the complete compact-car package.
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