10 Things You Need to Know About the 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback

2017 Honda Civic Hatchback exterior front angle by Miles Branman ・ Photo by Miles Branman

It’s one of the most popular vehicles ever made. Honda sells more Civics each year than the combined sales of some automakers’ entire vehicle portfolios. Despite losing its way for a brief period in the early 2010s, the Civic has always been a reasonably attractive, fun-to-drive, reliable, and affordable compact vehicle.

The 2016 redesign introduced bold aesthetics to a traditionally modest vehicle, but Honda’s risk has paid off handsomely. Sales continue to rise and buyers who once considered the Civic boring have given the vehicle a second look. The debut of the 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback adds a third body style to the Civic lineup, expanding the car’s practicality and design flexibility.

But the Civic hatch is more than just a more versatile model – it’s also sportier. A modest bump in output paired with a manual transmission in the Hatchback Sport trim turns the more practical Civic into the enthusiast’s Civic – at least until the Si and Type R variants go on sale.

The 2017 Civic Hatchback Marks the Return of the 5-Door Civic to the U.S.

In 2005, Honda discontinued the Civic Si hatchback and bid farewell to the 5-door design. Fans of the Civic hatch would complain, but the remainder of the market hardly missed the vehicle. It has taken a shift in consumer tastes and the introduction of several hatchback competitors for Honda to resurrect the Civic 5-door. To assure the Civic hatch won’t flop, Honda has applied plenty of engineering, design, and marketing resources to the 5-door’s case.

Photo by Miles Branman

The Civic Hatchback Wears the New Civic Design Language Very Well

I’m going out on a limb here, but I consider the Civic Hatchback the best interpretation of Honda’s new design language. The coupe may have the most in common with Honda’s wild Civic Concept from 2014, and the sedan may be the volume seller, but the hatchback has stellar proportions. Sport trim models take the hatchback’s styling to another level. At the front, a blacked-out grille sits between a pair of narrow headlights and LED daytime running lights. Below, two large air inlets (with only a smidge of functional venting) give the fascia some aggression. Black gloss trim runs the bottom of the vehicle and visually lowers its center of gravity. In profile, the Sport’s 18-inch black wheels wrapped in 235 section Continental ContiProContact tires look superb. Out back, the Civic Hatch will undoubtedly split opinions. Faux venting makes another appearance, though it’s not quite as attractive. A roof-mounted spoiler and dual center-exit exhaust ports are just plain cool. The raked trunk lid sacrifices a bit of cargo space, but emphasizes the vehicle’s sporty stance.

Photo by Miles Branman

The Civic Hatchback Only Comes with a Turbo Engine

Like I said, this is the enthusiast’s Civic. While the coupe and sedan can be equipped with a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder that produces just 158hp, the Hatchback is shipped exclusively with a 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder. Civic Hatchbacks without Sport in the name (LX and EX) net 174hp, but the Sport and Sport Touring squeeze out a few extra horses for a nice, round 180hp. Torque figures are a bit more confusing. Models equipped with a continuously variable transmission produce 162 lb-ft of torque, the LX model with a 6-speed manual makes 167 lb-ft of torque, and the Sport/Sport Touring trims get a bump to 177 lb-ft of torque. The figures are all so close, it hardly makes a difference, but the point here is that if you choose the 6-speed manual, you get more grunt. If you really don’t want to shift, Honda will swap in the CVT for $800, but where’s the fun in that?

Photo by Miles Branman

The Civic Hatchback is Pure, Simple Fun

The Civic Hatchback Sport is some of the most fun I’ve had in an “everyman’s” car. This isn’t a Volkswagen GTI competitor; Honda isn’t targeting the Fiesta ST. The Civic Hatchback Sport is simply an engaging car with a compact price tag. I had to remind myself of the Civic’s positioning several times during my week spent in the driver’s seat, because despite its humble lot, it’s remarkably quick. Part of the car’s brilliance is due to its over-engineered chassis. Honda has big plans for this platform, and that means even the lowliest of Civics have excellent bones. The Civic hatch is composed and stable while cornering, and even though the Continental tires aren’t high-performance rubber, they’re more than enough to keep things in check. The lightest and therefore hottest spec is the manual-equipped Civic Hatchback Sport. Without much in the way of safety or convenience tech, the vehicle weighs just 2,815 lbs and can sprint to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds. The 6-speed manual is paired with an ultra-light clutch pedal – not great for enthusiasts but perfect for commuters. Shifts are brief and fluid, but Honda’s hanging revs (the revs will hold for a while after you depress the clutch) can get annoying. These minor irks aside, it’s a well-sorted transmission that can be hustled.

Photo by Miles Branman

The Civic Hatchback Has Plenty of Room

Raked roof be darned, the 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback is still the most versatile of its brethren. With the rear seats, up, the Civic hatch offers 26 cubic feet of luggage space (23 cu.ft. in Sport trims). Stow the 60/40 split-folding rear bench and you’ll have 46 cu. ft. to work with, regardless of trim. With all seats in place, Honda’s nifty roll-up cargo cover will shield your valuables. Rear passenger legroom is more than sufficient for average height adults, and unless you regularly cram a fifth passenger into the cabin, there should be zero special complaints.

Photo by Miles Branman

The Civic Hatchback is Great on Gas

The compact sedan/hatch/coupe segment is a competitive field when it comes to fuel economy, and the Civic can hang with the herd. The Hatchback Sport gets an EPA-estimated 30 mpg in the city, 39 mpg on the highway, and 33 combined. With modest self-control, it’s even possible to beat the car’s 33 mpg combined figure.

Photo by Miles Branman

The Civic Hatchback has Super Safety Technology

The Honda Civic Hatchback is available with a number of segment-leading safety technologies as part of Honda’s Safety Sensing package (say that five times fast). Some of these features aren’t even options on luxury cars. Highlights include adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation braking, forward collision warning, lane keeping assist, and road departure mitigation.

Photo by Miles Branman

The Civic Hatchback has Trims to Match Your Lifestyle

Honda has a tendency to load its mainstream trims with ample creature comforts. The hatchback modifies this equation just slightly by focusing on performance and styling more than convenience, but the value is still strong. Base model LX Civic Hatchbacks start at $19,700 and include automatic climate control, automatic front passenger windows, a rearview camera, Bluetooth, USB, 12V socket, and a 5-inch color audio display. Sport models ($21,300) get the aforementioned power bump and exterior accents, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and aluminum pedals. Only the LX and Sport are available with the 6-speed manual. The high-volume EX trim ($22,800) introduces several features, including 17-inch alloy wheels, rearview camera guidelines, dual-zone auto climate control, push-button ignition, an additional USB port, an 8-speaker audio system, 7-inch display audio system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Sirius XM, and HD Radio. EX-L Navi ($25,300) adds leather seating, a navigation system with voice recognition, and an automatic dimming rearview mirror. The range topping Sport Touring trim has more in common with an entry-level luxury car than a mass-market compact vehicle. For $28,300, Honda adds the Sport trim’s exterior touches, a premium 12-speaker sound system, and Honda’s full safety suite.

Photo by Miles Branman

The Civic Hatchback has Solid 5-Door Rivals

There are numerous models that compete with Honda’s Civic, but only some of these are offered in 5-door form. Mazda’s 3 hatchback ($19,095) can be equipped with a manual transmission in its higher trims. Chevrolet’s Cruze hatchback ($21,240) achieves 40 mpg on the highway. Hyundai’s Elantra GT ($18,800) has impressive value. Subaru’s Impreza 5-door ($19,715) comes with standard all-wheel drive. Volkswagen’s Golf ($19,895) has a comfortable, upscale interior. Ford’s Focus hatch ($19,765) is handsomely styled. MINI’s Cooper 4-door ($22,800) is a blast to drive.

Each of these vehicles earns high marks in one or two criteria, but the Civic Hatchback gets straight As across the board.

Photo by Miles Branman

The Civic Hatchback Will be the Basis for the New Type R

There’s good news and bad news for hatchback fans. The bad news is that while Honda will build a spicier Si version of its Civic Coupe and Sedan, the Hatchback will be overlooked. The good news is that Honda’s ultimate Civic, the Type R, will be constructed on the Hatchback platform. Prepare for massive wings, torque-steer, stickier tires, and over 300hp. The Type R can’t get here soon enough.

Photo by Honda