Civic standard: The king of sedans wants its throne back

MANILA: The hits just keep on coming from Honda. Five years after introducing the 10th-generation Honda Civic and releasing it into the Philippine market, Honda has now unveiled its successor and things are certainly looking very promising.

Previewed last year, the 2022 Honda Civic features a clean, modern design and human-centered interior, a testament to the model’s almost 50-year history.

The 2022 Honda Civic Sedan features an all-new simple, yet clean and modern exterior which is something Honda Civic fans will appreciate. While the 10th-generation Civic offered sharp lines and angles, the all-new model looks to Honda’s new design philosophy, similar to that of the all-new HR-V. 

While the overall design doesn’t stray too far from the previous model, the choices made on the exterior refine it further. Most noticeable is the longer hood to emphasize a sense of power and sportiness. If you look at the design choice up close, you will notice that the A-pillar is actually pointed toward the front wheel hub, creating an atmosphere that can almost fool the uninitiated the 2022 Honda Civic sedan might even pass off as a rear-wheel-drive muscle car, that is of course until you see the Civic badge.

The rear LED taillights have most certainly been reworked from the “crab-claw” of the previous generation and features an almost Euro-esque vibe to it. Overall the 2022 Honda Civic features a more mature take on Honda’s best selling design that should appeal to both new and hard-core fans alike.

Major changes on the 2022 Honda Civic can most definitely be found in the interior. Keeping with Honda’s "man-maximum/machine-minimum: design philosophy, Honda uses every trick in the book to create a much cleaner and more intuitive experience for driver and passengers. The most glaring design changes would have to be the honeycomb, hexagonal grill on the dashboard. This design not only adds contrast and texture to an otherwise and often overlooked part. It runs horizontally across the dash from each front door and the simplicity of the design is as revolutionary as it is simple. Behind that grill lie the A/C vents that can be controlled by joystick-like contraptions. The only concern with this design implementation would be how to keep that grill clean and dust-free but at the moment, the strikingly simple yet ingenious design certainly makes this Honda-fan forget about that, for now.

Higher variants of the 2022 Honda Civic sedan get a high-resolution 10.2-inch digital display behind the steering wheel. It can show you all the information you need while driving, without having to take your eyes away from the road. A neat trick is that, once set in Sport mode, the digital display lights up in classic Honda Red. Crimson has always been associated with performance and Honda, more so than in any other brand.

Tech enthusiasts will be happy to know that the top Touring trim is brimming with every imaginable convenience feature such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which at this point should come as standard in all vehicles, really. You can control the 2022 Honda Civic’s infotainment system through a glorious nine-inch HD touchscreen infotainment system while audio is channeled through a premium Bose 12-speaker system on the top trim. Qi-wireless charging is also available for compatible smartphones. I’m glad that they didn’t ditch the volume knob.

Ditching it during the last generation’s first release was like Apple removing the headphone jack.

Honda didn’t give safety a figurative backseat in the 2022 Honda Civic. What is on the backseat are side airbags that are finally available on the Civic for the first time. The airbags are also well engineered and smart enough to prevent traumatic brain and neck injuries. Of course, a more advanced and improved version of the Honda Sensing safety system makes its debut with a new front wide-view camera, plus new traffic jam assist and low-speed braking control. 

Under the hood, you get the option to select either a two-liter naturally aspirated K20C2 that makes 158hp at 6,500rpm and 187Nm or a 1.5-liter turbocharged L15B7 VTEC engine pushing 180 hp at 6,000rpm and 240Nm of torque at 4,500rpm. These engines are carried over from the previous generation but the latter has been further tuned to give buyers a bit more power and better fuel economy. Both are powered by an improved CVT system that provides better feedback and shift response, ensuring that the engine is at the most efficient speed at all times. For those worried about the turbo system on the 1.5, thermal performance has been reworked to ensure durability and maximum efficiency for any situation. Estimated EPA fuel consumption for both power plants is about 14kpl combined city and highway.

I’ve had my doubts about the all-new 2022 Honda Civic, especially when the prototype was first released last year, but the production model surely wiped my worries away and I can’t wait to get my hands on this for a test drive, or maybe even drive home with one of my own.

Honda is going all in with its most iconic nameplate and with brands shifting away from sedans to crossovers, I think it’s time Honda showed everyone how fun a sporty sedan can be. Local pricing has yet to be released, but Honda Philippines has always made sure to let everyone know about it as soon as it is made available. 

Photos from Honda

Also read:  Two new, polar-opposite trims of Honda Civic Type R unleashed