Honda Car Forum

The Honda Civic Hybrid receives new exterior styling for 2009 and becomes more premium with the addition of available features that include leather-trimmed seating surfaces and steering wheel; heated front seats and side mirrors; and Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink® on models equipped with the Honda Satellite-linked¹ Navigation System™. Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®), also known as electronic stability control, is added as standard equipment.

The Civic Hybrid is rated at 40/45/42 city/highway/combined miles per gallon² by the Environmental Protection Agency. Contributing significantly to fuel economy, the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA®) hybrid system uses a gasoline engine as the primary source of power and an electric motor to provide both additional power and electricity regeneration capability.

"The Civic Hybrid is an excellent example of how to balance the company's commitment to the environment with many of the elements that make Honda vehicles fun-to-drive," said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "For 2009, the Civic Hybrid can better serve more affluent customers seeking the efficiency of a hybrid."

A sweeping roofline and a sleek windshield angle convey an advanced, one-motion profile with a low and wide stance. New for 2009, a revised front grille opening along with a new front bumper cover adopts a new three-port shape at the lower air intake, replacing the appearance of one continuous opening. New headlight and taillight color combinations adopt clear turn indicator lenses with amber bulbs.

Built on a high-rigidity unit-body platform, the Civic Hybrid delivers precise, sharp and refined handling performance with its fully-independent MacPherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear suspension.

The interior emphasizes sophistication with a two-tier instrument panel, comfortable seating and accommodating storage areas with room for mobile phones, MP3 music players, compact discs and more.

The 1.3-liter i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine and a 15 kilowatt electric motor produce a combined 110-horsepower @ 6000 rpm and 123 lb-ft. of torque between 1000 and 2500 rpm. The Civic Hybrid is certified by the California Air Resource Board (CARB) as Advanced-Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV) - the best-possible emissions rating for a hybrid vehicle. A continuously variable transmission (CVT) smoothly adjusts transmission ratios for optimal fuel efficiency and performance.

The primary IMA components consist of a 2.8-inch-wide electric motor positioned between the engine and the transmission, an Intelligent Power Unit (IPU) that controls the flow of electricity to and from the electric motor, and a compact nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery pack.

The gasoline engine and electric motor work together during acceleration. When cruising, the gasoline engine and/or the electric motor provide power to propel the vehicle based on driving conditions. In certain steady-state cruising situations, the IMA system can deactivate all four of the engine's cylinders and operate using only the electric motor.

During regenerative braking, the gasoline engine deactivates and the electric motor acts as generator to replenish the battery pack. At a stop, the engine can enter an idle stop mode to save fuel and reduce emissions by turning off the engine until the brake pedal is released. While in idle stop mode, the hybrid air conditioning compressor can maintain operation while the engine is off.

A wide array of standard safety technologies includes the Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure; side curtain airbags; driver's and front passenger's side airbags with a passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS); and dual-stage, dual-threshold driver's and front passenger's airbags (SRS).

Active front seat head restraints are designed to help reduce the likelihood of neck injury in the event of a rear collision. Standard active safety features include VSA, brake assist, an anti-lock braking system (ABS) and electronic brake distribution, front seatbelts with automatic-tensioners and load limiters, and a pedestrian injury mitigation design incorporated into the front exterior of the vehicle. Driver and front passenger seatbelt reminders and daytime running lights are also standard equipment.

Standard features include 15-inch lightweight alloy wheels, P195/65R15 tires, automatic climate control, cruise control, power door locks, power windows with driver-side auto up/down, security system with remote entry and trunk release, a 4-speaker 160-watt AM/FM audio system with CD Player (MP3/WMA³ enabled), USB Audio Interface⁴, auxiliary audio input jack, center console with sliding armrest and storage compartment, progressive blue illumination instrument panel with IMA operation mode display and battery status meter.

The available Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System has a 6.5-inch motorized display that opens and closes for access to the internal single-disc CD player and a digital audio card reader that can play MP3 and WMA files from CompactFlash®⁵ cards (via a PC card adapter). New for 2009, the system includes Bluetooth HandsFreeLink, a wireless telephone interface that works with Bluetooth-enabled mobile telephones for hands-free operation via steering wheel-mounted controls. The navigation system features more than 7 million points of interest and the voice activation can control the navigation menus and the audio system, along with entering city and street names. XM® Satellite Radio⁶ is standard on models with navigation.

¹ Certain functions that rely on a satellite signal will not work correctly in Hawaii and Alaska. These functions include but are not limited to automatic clock updates and time zone adjustments. The Bluetooth word mark and logos are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc., and any use of such marks by Honda Motor Co., Ltd., is under license.

² Based on 2009 EPA mileage estimates, reflecting new EPA fuel economy methods beginning with 2008 models. Use for comparison purposes only. Do not compare to models before 2008. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.

³ Windows Media® Audio (WMA) is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

⁴ The USB Audio Interface is used for direct connection to and control of some current digital audio players and other USB devices that contain MP3, WMA or AAC music files. Some USB devices with security software and digital rights-protected files may not work. Please see your dealer for details on compatibility

⁵ CompactFlash® is a registered trademark of the Compact Flash Association.

⁶ Required XM® Radio monthly subscription sold separately after 90 day trial period. Installation costs and other fees and taxes may apply after initial trial period, including a one-time activation fee. Subscription fee is consumer only. All fees and programming subject to change. Subscriptions subject to Customer Agreement available at xmradio.com. XM service only available in the 48 contiguous United States. The XM name is a registered trademark of XM Satellite Radio Inc.