Auto Choice

When the all-new Civic arrives this spring, it will continue to be a standout in the compact segment, with all the value, reliability, sporty performance and efficiency you’ve come to expect from this iconic vehicle. The 2012 Civic will offer an unparalleled level of variety, with standard coupe and sedan models, two sporty Si versions, one hybrid, one natural-gas alternative-fuel variant and an all-new model—the Civic HF. In the tradition of the Civic CRX HF of years past, the new Civic HF has a similar goal of high efficiency with gasoline-only power, delivering a targeted EPA-estimated fuel-economy rating of 41 mpg on the highway[1]. Also delivering on the efficiency front is the all-new Civic Hybrid. With its all-new lithium-ion battery, the Civic Hybrid boosts its mpg numbers significantly with a targeted EPA-estimated city/highway combined fuel-economy rating of 45 mpg[1]. The sleek new Si performs an engineering paradox by enhancing efficiency and performance simultaneously with its torquey new 2.4-liter i-VTEC® engine. The next-generation Civic brings enhanced styling, performance and efficiency across the model range.

[1] Preliminary EPA mileage estimate determined by Honda. Final EPA mileage estimates not available at the time of printing. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.

What you see before is the all-new 2012 Honda Civic. Sure, it looks the same, but there’s a whole lot of new here, from the 41 mpg HF model from a torquey new 2.4 liter for the sporty Si model.

Honda joins a growing list of car makers offering an extra fuel efficient model. Called the HF, this model gets the same aerodynamic body kit as the Civic Hybrid and a 1.8 liter engine, which Honda says should net an EPA estimated 41 mpg. That’s what the old Civic Hybrid used to get, but that model has gotten its own changes to boost its fuel economy rating to 45 mpg. That’s not at all far from the Toyota Prius, which hasn’t seen its mpg ratings move much at all in the past few years.

Honda doesn’t detail want changes they made to get an extra 4 mpg, but its obvious the engineers spent most of their time improving how the Civic works, rather than how it looks. I still like how it looks, especially the Si model, which now has a 170 ft-lbs of torque and 200 horsepower on tap from a naturally aspirated four-cylinder. That ain’t bad, and it still gets a 31 mpg rating. Then of course there’s the natural-gas powered Honda Civic GX, the “greenest” car in the world. I hear there might be a sportier version of the CR-Z Hybrid out there too. How many Honda faithful we got out there?

Source: Honda

Chris DeMorro is a writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to HEMI’s. You can follow his slow descent into madness at Sublime Burnout.