The 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback took to the stage at the automaker’s big Remix event Wednesday night.
In typical fashion, the Japanese automaker has been steadily rolling out new variants of the 11th-generation Civic line, and the 5-door is next in line — though more are set to follow, the next Si and Type-R models.
“Civic Hatchback plays a critical role in the Honda lineup and we expect the all-new 11th-generation model to be even more popular than its predecessor,” said Dave Gardner, American Honda’s executive vice president of National Operations. “With its sporty, fun-to-drive driving character, Euro exterior styling and flexible interior packaging, the new Civic Hatchback will appeal to those all-important young and active buyers.”
The 5-door Honda picks up on key design cues first revealed with the launch of the latest Civic sedan, though it adds a bit more of a sporty feel borrowed from the European Civic line.
More coupe-like
The new model adopts a more coupe-like shape than the outgoing Civic Hatchback. It adopts a “thin and light” body design with a low hood and front fenders, a small grille above the front bumper, and a larger grille below that gives it a more planted feel. Subtle flaring around the wheels yield a more aggressive and premium feel, or so Honda designers contend. The windshield pillars, meanwhile, have been moved rearward two inches, the glass flowing into a coupe-like roofline that tapers into a short rear deck.
The new 5-door’s wheelbase has grown 1.4 inches, while the rear track is 0.4 inches wider. The hatch, meanwhile, has been widened a useful 1.6 inches. Compared to the Civic Sedan, the Hatchback model is 4.9 inches shorter.
Moving the A-pillar rearward enhances visibility, Honda notes, with larger rear windows than the 4-door. The new cabin retains reasonable space for both front- and back-seat passengers, especially compared to key competitors in the compact segment. By stretching the wheelbase, Honda added another 1.4 inches of legroom in the back. The low instrument panel is accented by a honeycomb mesh and the cabin adopts more premium materials than the outgoing sedan.
More digital displays
The hatchback’s lower trims now get a 7-inch digital instrument cluster which jumps to 10.2 inches on premium trim models. Depending upon model, Civic 5-doors feature touchscreen infotainment displays of up to 9 inches, and the system comes with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s an upgrade to a wireless package with wireless CarPlay and Android Auto. The 2022 Civic sedan became the first to offer a 12-speaker Bose premium sound system, and Touring models come with Qi wireless smartphone charging.
Also depending upon trim, two powertrains will be available:
- A naturally aspirated 2.0-liter package making 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque and paired with an updated CVT for LX and Sport models;
- The other package is reserved for the EX-L and Sport Touring models, an updated 1.5-liter turbo-4 now making 180 hp and 177 lb-ft, up 6 and 15, respectively.
New safety features
Like the Civic Sedan and Coupe, the 2022 Civic Hatchback comes with the standard Honda Sensing suite of advanced driver assistance systems, including forward-collision warning with pedestrian and bicycle detection, and automatic emergency braking, as well as lane-keeping assist.
The system uses a faster processor to react more quickly — but it’s also kicked off some controversy since the 2022 Honda Sensing system drops a forward-looking radar sensor and relies only on a single camera.
Honda’s decision to stick with passenger cars appears to be paying off, the automaker picking up some volume from Ford and other manufacturers that decided to abandon coupes and sedans. But the Hatchback has been doing particularly well and now accounts for a full 20% of overall Civic sales.
The 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback will be produced at the automaker’s plant in Greenburg, Indiana, marking the first time it’s been assembled in the U.S. While the ongoing semiconductor shortage is impacting industry production plans, the 5-door currently is scheduled to reach American showrooms later this year.
The automaker will reveal pricing closer to its on-sale date. The current model starts at $22,200 plus $995 in delivery fees.
