First Look: 2022 Honda Civic

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Since its introduction, Honda Canada has sold more than two million Civics through 10 generations, and it has managed to remain Canada’s best-selling car for the past 23 years in the process. However, not all has been smooth sailing; Honda was accused of being overly conservative when it launched the 2012 Civic sedan. It received a stylistic update for the 2013 model year and was replaced in 2015. This scenario will most certainly not be replayed with the 2022 eleventh-generation model.

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It’s marked by its sharp exterior style. From the formal grille with slick inverted checkmark-like LED daytime running lights, longer hood, and taillights that mirror the style up front – along with available 18-inch wheels – it looks far more mature, but still sporty.

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The interior upgrades are major-league. It moves from last year’s cluster to a clean, uncluttered look that focuses on the minimal without giving up on material quality or aesthetic design. Honda describes the wholesale changes as being equal measures of “Simplicity and Something.”

The Simplicity is found in a revised dash panel that sits lower and is now flanked by thinner A-pillars and repositioned sideview mirrors. The larger glass expanse promises to improve outward visibility. The knob for volume control and rotary controls for the climate functions underscore the simple theme while making everything easier to use.

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The Something side is found in some Civic firsts, for the Touring model: A 10.2-inch all-digital instrumentation cluster that’s reconfigurable through steering-wheel-mounted controls and a nine-inch free-standing infotainment touch screen, the largest ever in a Civic.

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The larger screen brings clean, clear icons and supports the latest apps including wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a smarter navigation system that requires fewer inputs and arrives with a faster processor. This reduces lag time. It also works with a 12-speaker Bose sound system, another Civic first. The rest of the lineup uses a seven-inch infotainment touch screen.

The Civic’s interior look and style are easily the best to date. A small touch is found in an attractive mesh accent that spans the instrument panel. It separates the infotainment screen from the climate controls while housing and hiding the air vents that would otherwise spoil the symmetry of the design. It’s a look and design that speaks to the direction for future Honda vehicles.

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Elsewhere, there are new body-hugging seats that are heated as standard equipment; power adjustment is available, as is wireless charging. Sadly, a heated steering wheel is still not offered on the lower models.

The Honda Sensing suite of safety aids is part of the Civic’s makeup. It includes the likes of forward-collision warning with auto-braking, lane-departure warning with keep assist and adaptive cruise control, but it’s now supported by two key additions — Traffic Jam Assist and a blind-spot monitoring system that covers both sides of the car. The outgoing Honda LaneWatch only looked after the right side. The Touring model also gets a low-speed braking control system; it can stop the Civic if the driver fails to do so.

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The latest Civic rides on a new platform that’s stronger, stiffer, and has a 35-mm longer wheelbase than before. When combined with the revised suspension and steering, Honda says the new Civic has improved ride and handling, as well as better NVH characteristics.

Civic arrives with two engine choices. The starting point is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder that makes 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque. The second choice is an improved version of Honda’s 1.5L turbo-four. It now makes 180 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque at 1,700 rpm, which is six hp and 15 lb-ft of torque more than last year’s unit.

Both engines drive the front wheels through a reworked continuously variable transmission that now features updated shift logic — it switches gears under hard acceleration. This reduces the motorboating while improving the fun factor. Paddle shifters are available. Sport mode is also new, to go along with the usual Eco and Normal driving modes. All of this serves to whet the appetite for the future Civic models that will inevitably include a new Type R.

The 2022 Honda Civic takes major steps forward in all key areas, not the least of which are found in the exterior style and new-found interior panache. Pricing and full specifications will be available closer to the launch this summer.