Latest news with #compactcar
Auto Express
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Car Hunter: Help! I need a small, stylish and spacious car for £7,000
If you want to get ahead in the urban jungle, then a city car should be at the top of your shopping list. Small, easy to drive and cost-effective to run, they can fit through the tight gaps and into the smallest parking spaces. The best city cars offer style, a classy cabin and are equally at home on the open road as they are on city streets. Advertisement - Article continues below Few are as funky as the Smart ForFour, which combines distinctive looks with a novel rear-engined layout and the sort of quality you'd expect from parent firm Mercedes. Or how about the MINI hatchback? Ever since BMW reinvented the British icon two decades ago, it has set the small-car standard for eye-catching style and driver fun. Taking a similarly retro-themed approach is the Fiat 500, which features cheeky looks and some of the lowest running costs in the business. For: Looks great, easy to drive, packed with equipment Against: Cramped rear seats, weak engine and handling Despite nearing its 20th birthday, the Fiat 500 still looks as fresh and trendy as ever, especially in Lounge trim that adds neat alloys and a range of funky colours. Only on the move does the car's age show, with its 1.2-litre engine being the most sluggish and least efficient here. The ride is also a little bouncy, and the light steering offers little feedback. Yet it's a doddle to drive in town. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Huge popularity when new means there's plenty of choice on the used car market, and £6,800 buys you a 21-plate Mild Hybrid Pop with just 35,000 miles on the clock. Advertisement - Article continues below The style continues inside, where a full-width body-coloured dash insert and heavily cowled dials hark back to the original 500. The light-coloured trim materials and distinctive checked fabric on the seats make the 500 feels surprisingly luxurious. This is enhanced by a generous amount of kit, including touchscreen infotainment with Android Auto, a panoramic glass roof, air-con, cruise control and parking sensors. The 500's upright driving position is comfy, but the rear seats are cramped and are best suited to kids. Its 185-litre boot matches the Smart's, but there's less space with the back seats folded. Used Fiat 500 deals For: Great fun to drive, punchy engine, refined Against: Expensive, larger dimensions, least standard kit The slightly bulbous third-generation MINI hatchback is the biggest car here, but it's still compact enough to make light work of crowded urban areas, plus it's packed with retro appeal. It's the most engaging of these three to drive, and a range of responsive engines adds to the fun. Firm suspension results in a fidgety ride, but the refined MINI is the best choice for long trips. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Strong residuals mean you'll have a higher mileage at this price, but we found a 16-plate, diesel-powered Cooper with 70,000 miles for £6,000. Advertisement - Article continues below Like its exterior, the MINI's cabin has been treated to some retro design touches, such as the large circular binnacle in the centre of the dash, some eyeball air vents and metal toggle switches. Quality is first rate, with soft-touch materials and a robust fit and finish giving the British machine a real upmarket feel. While the One is the entry-level model, you get air-con, electric windows and infotainment that features Bluetooth, DAB and USB connectivity. The low-slung driving position is great, but taller occupants will feel cramped in the back, and the three-door layout makes access tricky. But the 211-litre boot is the biggest here. Used MINI hatchback deals For: Five doors, tight turning circle and low running costs Against: Basic infotainment, not suited to long journeys If you want head-turning kerb appeal, then the quirky Smart takes some beating. This is largely down to the trademark exposed Tridion safety cage, which is finished in a colour that contrasts with the rest of the car. Despite its rear-engined layout, the Smart ForFour isn't sporty to drive, but with its narrow body and tight turning circle of 8.65 metres, it's the most agile car around town. It rides bumps well, while its 0.9-litre three-cylinder engine delivers decent urge and strong efficiency. For £5,600 you can bag a 15-plate 1.0-litre Passion with 44,000 miles. The Smart is equally adventurous inside, where you'll find a distinctively designed dash and a bold, albeit possibly controversial, two-tone colour scheme. High-grade materials and solid build quality create an ambience that could generally be described as upmarket. The infotainment is fairly basic, but there's a neat smartphone cradle, plus air-conditioning and cruise control. A five-door layout boasts versatility, but while there's plenty of space up front, those in the back will feel a little hemmed in. At 185 litres, the ForFour's boot is on the small side, but the rear bench can be quickly folded flat to free up 975 litres of capacity. You can also fold the front passenger seat down to accommodate extra-long loads. Used Smart ForFour deals Now you can buy a car through our network of top dealers around the UK. Search for the latest deals… Find a car with the experts Flawed hybrid car efficiency data to stifle UK EV sales and propagate pollution Flawed hybrid car efficiency data to stifle UK EV sales and propagate pollution Half a million extra PHEVs could reach UK roads by 2030 in place of cleaner EVs due to changes surrounding the ZEV Mandate New Ford Fiesta: latest details on supermini's potential return New Ford Fiesta: latest details on supermini's potential return The Ford Fiesta could be coming back as an electric car, and here's everything we know so far Kia is returning to its 'Keeping It Affordable' roots Kia is returning to its 'Keeping It Affordable' roots Mike Rutherford thinks new cars are simply too expensive, but some manufacturers are starting to do something about it
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Micra is back... but as an EV: Nissan's supermini enters an electric era after 40 years on sale in Britain
Nissan has provided new details of its forthcoming compact electric vehicle it hopes will help change its fortunes in the wake of its multi-billion-pound cost-saving drive to save the company. While the new EV might feature a name Britons are familiar with, it will be very different to the car we've known for four decades. A week after the Japanese auto giant simultaneously announced its disastrous 2024-25 financial results - posting a £3.8billion loss - and a £1.3billion-saving recovery strategy to lift it out of the red, it has presented a first-look at its new Micra. It is one of three new EVs scheduled for release before the end of next year, meaning it bears the weight of expectation and success to keep Nissan ticking over. The nameplate is one Britons typically know as a cheap, easy-to-drive town runaround that's ideal for learners and loved by older drivers since it debuted in 1983. And it might look very familiar to some drivers - especially EV enthusiasts. That's because it shares parts with a Renault sister model that many believe is the best electric car on the market right now... Nissan Micra is back... but not as you know it: The sixth generation of the Japanese car giant's compact hatchback has been unveiled... and it is exclusively electric Nissan UK unveiled its new Micra to a select few members of the press on Tuesday. It will see the return of a popular nameplate after the previous (sixth) generation Micra ceased production in the middle of 2023. It kickstarts the Japanese brand's new electric line-up which will also include a revised Leaf and a new Juke EV – both of which will be built in Sunderland before the end of next year - and an unspecified battery-powered city car to follow later. In a blow to Sunderland in 2010, Nissan shifted production of the K13 fourth-generation Micra (pictured) to India History of the Nissan Micra The Micra has been around since 1982, and while it didn't set the world on fire it was known for being reliable and versatile. The first-generation car - arriving in the UK in 1983 - was considered marvelously contemporary, and with multiple engines including a 1.2-litre option and manual and automatic gearboxes it was an immediate hit with learner drivers in particular. The Mk2 Micra – k11 - arrived in 1992, with new engines, and exciting new options like power steering, ABS, and electric windows. A facelift arrived in 1997 including a refreshed interior, and this was one of the best-selling Micras in the UK. The third generation, K12, came in 2002 and brought the bubble look that many younger drivers will think of when they hear the name. It's the version that inspires today's new EV Micra, with round headlights, and bulbous proportions. It had the most body styles of any Micra including the 2005 C+C (Coupe + Convertible) that referenced the Figaro. Before Micra production wrapped up, the fourth gen K13 launched in 2010, and the fifth iteration arrived in 2016. It was more angular, and sleeker with sharper lines and a premium interior. Over six million Micras have sold globally. Micra 'reborn' for an EV generation While the new electric Micra has plenty of nods to models that preceded it, the car maker describes it as a 'reborn Micra' and 'not a retro design'. However, Nissan design manager Bert Dehaes says the new Micra has 'timeless qualities' and 'iconic signatures' from Micras of old, particularly the K12 (on sale between 2002 and 2010) that 'translate to a new generation'. This includes inspiration for the 'bug eye' front headlights and 'gelato scoop' cut out that links the front and rear doors. But arguably the biggest change is that the Micra is much bigger than before in the hope of attracting more family buyers. Micra project manager Elodie Sawruk doubled down on the Micra as now being a 'solid, robust SUV looking car' with 'an iconic heritage inspired design' just with 'modern surprises'. Externally, the Micra is 11cm longer than the R5. It is also chunkier, with a wider stance and side cladding that gives it an SUV look Is it just a rebodied Renault 5? With Nissan's long-running partnership with the French Renault Group, it's great surprise that Micra will be produced on a shared platform to keep costs down. The good news is that it will be based on what is the standout electric car in 2025. Nissan confirmed it is indeed very similar to the new Renault 5 E-Tech that's captured the minds of both seasoned car testers and the general public, who have lapped up its funky design and brilliant driving characteristics. Sawruk said that it uses the R5 as a 'base car' but 'isn't replicating' its French sibling. That said, the interior does feel cut and paste; it uses the same fabrics, 10-inch dual screens (on higher trims, seven and 10-inch on lower trims) and shares the same electronic software. However, there are a few Mount Fiji graphics dotted around the cabin to remind customers that they're driving a Nissan. Externally, the Micra is some 11cm longer than its French counterpart. It is also chunkier, with a wider stance and side cladding that gives it an SUV look. All the body panels are bespoke for the Micra too. But the biggest similarity to the R5 is the drivetrain... Nissan's charging time estimations from 15 to 80 per cent are currently three hours and 55 minutes for the 40kWh Micra on a 7.4kW AC charger, and five hours and 10 minutes for the 52kWh battery Battery, range, performance and charging The new Micra will come with the option of a 40kWh or 52kWh battery. These are claimed to provide 192 and 253 miles of range on a single charge respectively. The smaller battery unit is linked to an e-motor delivering 120hp, while the larger pack is married to a 150hp electric drive system: like-for-like stats with the R5. The smaller battery is available with the entry and mid Engage and Advance trims, while the 52kWh larger battery gets the mid and range-topping Evolve specification. Nissan estimates charging from 15 to 80 per cent to take three hours and 55 minutes for the 40kWh Micra on a 7.4kW AC charger, and five hours and 10 minutes for the 52kWh battery. Using a 11kW device, it will charge from 15 to 80 per cent in two hours and 35 minutes or three hours and 15 minutes respectively. The 40kWh can DC fast charge up to 80kW while the 52kWh version can go up to 100kW which will deliver 15 to 80 per cent charge in 25 minutes or 30 minutes. Practicality, interior choices and tech While Micra has grown in dimensions, it's certainly not a big car - so don't expect a boot of epic proportions. It has a respectable 326-litre boot – again the same as the R5 – and 1,106 litres with all the seats down. The seats split 60/40 as well. It means the luggage capacity is greater than the new Hyundai Inster, which has a cargo space of between 280 litres and 351 litres, and Citroen e-C3's 310-litre offering. There's no 'froot' (a front boot) up front, but Nissan has provided a 27-litre under floor storage area in the back to house the charging cables when not in use. Having sat in the Micra, we can tell you that the interior room isn't all that capacious; there was enough rear headroom for us (I'm 5'3) but a 5'11 colleague had his hair pressed firmly into the roof lining. That said, it is adequately proportioned for kids to travel in the back on longer journeys. The Micra comes with Google Built-In which gives you Maps, the Play Store and Google Assistant along with a host of apps, putting less demand on your smartphone. The Engage trim has a seven-inch digital driver screen and a 10.1-inch display touchscreen. The Advance and Evolve trims have two 10.1-inch screens. Again, this is all very Renault 5, but that's gone down a treat so far with customers. New Nissan managing director James Taylor said that by using an established nameplate, Nissan can entice people into EVs as there is a 'familiarity there'. Will this tactic work on you? Pricing – how much will the Micra cost? We pressed and pressed but Nissan has refrained from revealing the Micra's price. However, the wide bet is that it will ring in around the same as the Renault 5 E-Tech. The R5 starts at £22,995. Pricing and full technical confirmation is expected soon with first drives in September. New Leaf and Juke EVs a lifeline for Sunderland car factory Nissan's new managing director, James Taylor, confirmed there will be four new Nissan EVs as well as new e-Power hybrid models launching in the next two years. While the Micra will be made in France alongside the Renault 5, the Leaf and Juke EV are planned for production in Sunderland. Taylor says this is a 'fantastic opportunity to increase [Nissan's] product offer, attract new customers and grow the brand in the UK'. The Micra was designed by the company's development division in London, further promoting UK jobs. Taylor told press at the launch that using established nameplates helps manufacturers like Nissan entice people into EVs, as there is a 'familiarity there'. He noted as well that the SEO search for the Leaf is still off the charts despite it currently being discontinued – something for marketing to tap into. Nissan's obviously hoping that it can capitalise on the same success as other manufacturers bringing back nameplates from the past.
Auto Car
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Car
Mazda MX-5 review: the bestselling
The ND MX-5 is positively geriatric in the context of model cycles. Nevertheless, the no-nonsense interior still feels fresh. It was a huge leap compared with the NC generation, but if you're unaccustomed to MX-5s, it's likely that the cabin's incredibly compact dimensions will need to sink in before you can meaningfully survey the details. The MX-5 has always been resolutely bijou, and the ND is no different. Broader adults will find themselves in frequent contact with the centre console, door trim and the sides of the skinny footwell, while taller drivers will want for a few centimetres more leg room. Despite a 20mm lower hip point compared with the NC, you sit a little higher than would seem optimal and head room with the top up is relatively limited. Moreover, there is a bulge in the floorpan that denies you the option of folding your clutch leg away on motorways (a malaise of right-hand-drive cars only). Reach adjustment for the steering wheel was added in 2018. If you plan to do long distances in your MX-5, seek out a version with the Recaro seats, because they are significantly more comfortable than the standard items, and offer more lateral support too. These factors can combine to make it tricky to get comfortable – tricky enough, in fact, for some people to be put off the prospect entirely, although others will proclaim this the most comfortable MX-5 yet. More fool the critics, though, because in an age that tends towards profligacy, the MX-5's cockpit-sized simplicity – once reconciled with – makes for a charming environment. The dashboard architecture is similar to that of the Mazda 2, which is a good thing because the same natty design features and chunky, tactile switchgear work equally well here in the roadster. You'll have to look hard to find soft-touch materials, but that somehow feels appropriate for a no-nonsense sports car. Nowhere is the MX-5's simplicity better encapsulated than in the manually operated roof. Made 3kg lighter than in the NC and requiring 30lb ft less effort to close, the hood can be operated easily with one hand, even when moving. There's one spring-loaded clip to unfasten on the header rail, then a click somewhere in the housing behind you to confirm that it's safely stowed. It takes four or five seconds and, like pretty much everything else about the MX-5, puts everything larger, heavier and motor-driven to shame. The roof's tiny size means that the car continues to offer a modest-sized but usable boot. It's too small for golf clubs but is just big enough for two weekend-away bags. Which seems to us exactly as it should be. Multimedia system Over its many years on sale, the MX-5 has gone through a number of infotainment iterations, but the good news is that all of them are quite pleasant to use because they were clearly modelled on the classic BMW iDrive. Cars up to 2023 used an older interface, but one which still had logical menus and could be navigated using both the touchscreen and the rotary controller in the centre console. Entry-level models used to miss out on the centre screen, but from 2023, all MX-5s have the 7.0in touchscreen. In 2018, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were added, the former with wireless functionality. They do come with a Mazda-typical quirk. The touchscreen stops working on the move and you have to use the rotary controller. The latter works great for the native interface, but using it to navigate CarPlay is rather awkward, as that was clearly designed for a touchscreen In 2024, the screen was upgraded to a 8.8in screen with much more modern-looking graphics. Thankfully, that didn't come at a cost of usability – all the menus remain very logical, and the built-in navigation is actually quite good. The standard stereo isn't anything special, but it's just about brawny enough to be heard over the road and wind noise. The Bose system that used to be available on certain trims put up a better fight, but as this is quite a noisy car on the motorway, it's always a bit of a losing battle. Page 2 The cabin space of the new 2 is unlikely to make a dent on your first impression, especially now that rivals have grown wider and thus become more practical. Instead, how the interior looks is of far more interest than its basic proportions. Here is a supermini cabin that avoids the pitfalls of tacky styling or unnecessary clutter, delivering in their place a real sense of imagination and savvy attention to detail. This emanates most obviously from the dashboard, a slab of space-conscious architecture. None of its hallmarks – unbroken horizontal lines, nicely corralled switchgear, periscoped instrument cluster – are novel, but their integration is rarely so well handled. It comes as no surprise to learn that the car's designer, the same man who penned the exterior, originally trained in interior design. The input device for the multimedia system could do with being a little further forward for optimum usability, but that's about the limit of our ergonomic complaints. You sit marginally too high, although well within the segment's norm, and 20mm of additional elbow room helps to prevent the front of the cabin from feeling full to the brim when two adults are on board. In the back, the 2 isn't the most spacious supermini: taller passengers will certainly feel uncomfortable after a while. It's no Fiat 500, you understand, but it's in a different league from the Seat Ibiza, for instance. The boot is decent, with a capacity of 280 litres, if hindered a little by its miserly aperture width. Multimedia system The infotainment touchscreen looks neat where it's perched on the dashboard and, better still, you won't have to actually touch it once you're driving thanks to a rotary input device and a selection of physical shortcut buttons. It has a touchscreen, but it deactivates on the move. Some testers found this worked well for them, while others found navigating Apple CarPlay with the rotary controller rather cumbersome. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto didn't exist yet when the Mazda 2 was first launched, but both were added after a few years. The former works wirelessly, the latter requires a cable. Mazda's default interface feels a little dated in 2023, but is easy enough to understand. Page 3
Mail & Guardian
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Mail & Guardian
The new Citroën C3 is practical, comfortable and fuel efficient
Modern and assertive: The new C3 has managed to give a big car feel to a small car. (Lunga Mzangwe/M&G) The Citroën team has punched above its weight with the design of the new C3. It is modern and assertive. The front looks pretty and bold and has thin, curved-shaped headlights that are connected by a strip with the Citroën badge in the middle of it, but also moulded into that strip. While the front was bold and made me feel as if I was looking at a bigger car, the back looked boxy, and that's where reality does set in that this is a small car. The roof rails look interesting and add to the mirage that this is not a small vehicle. The C3 reminded me of the Nissan Magnite, which is a direct competitor to the former. Inside, the steering wheel looks and feels good, the digital driver display is clear and to the point, with no complications, while the 10-inch infotainment with wireless Apple Play and Android Auto feel modern and are quite impressive. The door pockets of the car in front are quite big and the back ones are also sufficient. The boot space is decent and deep enough to load stuff for a long distance or fit several bags of groceries after shopping. The vehicle is comfortable and spacious. I took four members of my family for a drive and it wasn't a squeeze for two adults, two children and me as the driver. But there were certain features that made the vehicle feel rather outdated. For example, the central locking system does not have a button to press for locking. I was in the C3 Max Turbo 6AT, which sports a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. But the automatic gear selector has the same design as those in older cars, making it aesthetically unpleasing. Overall, the cabin was open and functional. In the week that I had the car, the C3 did not in any way feel like a small car. While it is categorised as a hatchback, the vehicle seems more like a compact SUV given its high ground clearance. Once you get moving, the car has a punchy performance with a great fuel economy for those who want to feel the rush but still want to save on petrol. The 1.2-litre engine delivers 81kW of power and 205 Nm of torque. Paired to a six-speed automatic gearbox, the fuel consumption is about 6.3 litres/100km. On the manual variants, you can expect a lower fuel consumption. My verdict on the car is that it is designed for real-world needs, practical, good looking, fuel efficient, comfortable — which makes it an ideal car for a young family. The car is different in all the right ways. The Citroën C3 is available in three variants: a 1.2 PLUS 5MT that is priced at R249 900, 1.2 MAX 5MT that comes in at R259 900 and a MAX TURBO 6AT priced at R299 900. All variants come with a two-year/30 000 km service plan and a a five-years/100,000km warranty.
Motor Trend
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
2025 Honda Civic Hatchback Sport Touring Hybrid First Test Review: So Close to Perfect
Pros Quick Fun to drive Hugely practical Cons No rear seat amenities You pay for its excellence Smallish touchscreen We don't lightly apply the descriptor 'perfect' to a vehicle, but the latest Honda Civic—particularly in its more powerful, highly efficient, and quieter hybrid form—gets as close as any compact car out there to earning the label. And that's just the four-door sedan. The hybrid is also available in the more practical Civic hatchback. With its extra cargo capacity, the Civic Hybrid hatchback nudges Honda's smallest car even closer to ideal. The Goods For 2025, every Civic gets a mild restyling—mostly new wheel designs, lighting internals, and grille designs. Honda also replaces the base LX and Sport models' naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with an all-new one that, somehow, makes less power than before. It's also quieter—although not enough—and joined by a stiffer body shell and some suspension improvements. But the hybrid combining a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine with two electric motors and a 1.1-kWh battery is the biggest news. It is swapped in for the 180-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder offered in last year's EX and Touring sedans and EX-L and Sport Touring hatchbacks, effectively taking over as top-spec powertrain for the sedan and hatch lineups. It not only brings more power to the table, a stout 200 hp and 232 lb-ft of torque—outmuscling even the sporty Civic Si sedan, at least on torque—but it vaults the Civic's EPA-estimated fuel economy way, way up to 50/45/48 mpg city/highway/combined. Aerodynamic differences account for the hybrid sedan's slightly better EPA figures, but still—the most efficient 2024 Civic hatchback had the turbo engine this hybrid replaces and could only muster 31/39/35 mpg city/highway/combined. The best a nonhybrid 2025 Civic hatchback can do is a merely OK 34 mpg combined. How Does a Hybrid Improve Something Already Good? The current-generation Civic was already our favorite compact car. Even with its weak base engine, the Civic drives with typical Honda enthusiasm, and the interior is fantastic, with a great layout and cool style. The car also exudes a sense of engineering refinement and attention to detail that other compacts simply can't match. So how does stuffing a hybrid into its nose help? Plenty. As mentioned, one of the Civic's few sore spots is its elevated road and tire noise at speed. This is a longtime Honda trait that, model for model, often stands out against more hushed competitors. For 2025, Honda's suspension, body stiffness, and engine improvements are enough to somewhat tamp down its freeway cabin volume and improve the ride slightly. The hybrids, which also add active noise cancellation via the audio system and extra cabin insulation, are quieter still—and now among the quieter compacts out there. Also helping matters? The hybrid system itself. It behaves differently than other setups out there, specifically Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive that powers the Prius and Corolla hybrids. In the Toyotas, the gas engine still does a lot of the work propelling the car forward, via the transmission; its dual electric motors—one a starter-generator, the other a larger drive motor—assist the gas engine as needed, and are capable of powering the wheels alone for brief periods with the engine off. Honda flips that layout on its head, fitting a large 181-hp primary electric drive motor to the Civic and relying on it most of the time. The engine—which at 141 hp is much less powerful—merely spins the smaller starter-generator unit, feeding juice to the big motor and battery, meaning the Civic hybrid behaves more like an EV that happens to have an engine on board. This results in hushed operation, and the gas engine barely registers unless you plant the accelerator pedal—at which point, along with steady state highway travel, the gas engine can be clutched in to a single-speed drive to help power the wheels directly when it's deemed more efficient to do so. When you're less interested in smooth, quiet operation and more into smoking vehicles in the adjacent lane pulling away from stoplights, the Civic Hybrid still impresses. The hatchback we tested, a fully loaded Sport Touring Hybrid, rips to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds. That's a hair behind an equivalent 2025 Civic Sport Touring Hybrid sedan (6.1 seconds) but well ahead of the last 200-hp Civic Si we tested (7.4 seconds) and the pre-hybrid 2022 Honda Civic Sport Touring hatchback with the turbo engine (7.7 seconds). And it's not far off from hotter hatches such as the Volkswagen GTI. Want a quicker Honda hatch? Only the 315-hp turbocharged Civic Type R is quicker, though we've yet to test the more sparingly equipped Civic Hatchback Sport Hybrid model, which likely is lighter (and therefore quicker) than this Sport Touring version. Grabbing that quick acceleration time requires only that you brake-torque the powertrain, releasing the brake with the gas matted, and hang on. Interestingly, the faux 'shifts' from the nonexistent transmission that Honda programs—mini torque dips in the engine, which otherwise revs somewhat naturally in sync with the driver's acceleration demands, even though the electric motor is doing most of the actual work—go away if you launch with brake overlap. Surely this maximizes power, but we appreciate that outside of a racetrack you're treated to natural-seeming rising and falling revs as you accelerate rather than the usual engine-racing-to-redline-and-sitting-there sensation in other small hybrids under full throttle. Sport mode even amplifies a fake engine noise that sounds for all the world like the racier Type R's 2.0-liter engine wailing away. Same Hybrid Excellence, Only in Hatchback Form Like the Civic Sport Touring Hybrid sedan, the hatchback seems to ride smoother than lesser Civics, the hybrid setup's extra mass helping add a sense of substance to the otherwise light and agile-feeling Civic platform. Other performance metrics unsurprisingly mimic those of the hybrid sedan, with the hatchback's decent 113-foot stop from 60 mph, 0.86 g of lateral grip, and 27.6-second figure-eight lap time actually improving on the sedan's longer 120-foot stop and 0.83 g of grip but falling behind its 27.3-second lap time. Steering the Civic remains a joy, with a talkative steering setup that responds eagerly without compromising straight-ahead stability on the freeway. The brake pedal responds well, too, especially for a hybrid, blending regen and mechanical braking seamlessly. A paddle on the steering wheel lets drivers dial up stronger regen on the fly, though unless you're in the Sport drive mode, the car defaults back to a minimum setting after each stop. So, the already great Civic hybrid sedan's only room for improvement would be, well, more room, and the hatchback's more spacious butt delivers. There's 24.5 cubic feet of space in the large, pleasantly rectilinear cargo hold (that's around 10 cubic feet better than the Civic sedan's sizeable trunk, but differences in the measurement methods stymie direct comparisons). Fold the rear seats down, and you get a (slightly ramped) extra platform to shove even more stuff onto (for a total of 46.2 cubic feet). And the cool side-to-side rollup cargo shade from the last-gen Civic hatchback survives here, stowing neatly out of the way and requiring no special removal to make way when folding the rear seats. Speaking off Nice Butts, There's a 'But' The hatchback's practicality improvement over the sedan is indisputable. Except one thing: The two share a frustrating lack of rear-seat amenities. Look, we get it, the Civic is meant to be affordable, and certainly lower-priced versions aren't expected to pamper rear-seat passengers with much. On the other hand, the Civic costs more than most of its rivals, and the range-topping Sport Touring trim tested here retails for $34,300 before any special paints or accessories are added in and has only window switches and … nothing else back there. Would it really hit Honda's bottom line to include some rear-seat air vents or USB ports? This isn't a problem unique to the Civic, either—the most affordable Honda car with air vents and power ports in back is the midsize Accord Hybrid's midgrade EX-L trim, which costs about two grand more. If you park your Civic hybrid outside, expect to liberally use its remote-start feature to cool down or heat up the cabin ahead of time if, say, you're sticking a kid in the back seat. The Civic hatchback is an excellent family car otherwise, with plenty of space for child seats and strollers. But kiddos with iPads will have to nag front-seat passengers to pass extra-long USB cables to the back to charge their devices, and parents up front will have to creatively direct the air vents to keep them comfortable. At least shade isn't an issue, as Honda offers reasonably priced, full-coverage rear-door window shades as accessories, and the hatchback's thick rear roof pillars also help keep baby cool in the summer. Then again, kids these days could stand to toughen up, or something. Feel free to add in your own 'back in the day, I walked uphill both ways to and from school' admonishment here. For commuters who aren't toting kids or anyone else, ever, the Civic hatch is essentially flawless. Efficient, quick, and roomy enough to haul bikes or other gear for weekend getaways and the occasional friend group, it's all the car most people need, executed better than anything else in the segment, which is why the Civic remains our number-one pick among compact cars.
