2022 Honda Civic Hatchback Adds Versatility, Six-Speed Manual

Hatchback will see the return of the manual transmission, too.

Honda is giving the Civic the five-door treatment once more. As part of a reveal event on YouTube late Wednesday, the Japanese manufacturer showcased the second body style for the 11th-generation Civic, which went on sale in sedan form earlier this month.

The Hatchback benefits from many of the same improvements found in its three-box sibling. The cleaner styling carries over, with the five-door adopting a unique hexagonal grille pattern. The A-pillar is moved back roughly 2 inches (50 mm), like the sedan, to improve proportions. From there backwards, the Civic looks much different, with a sloping roofline terminating in a tidy tail some 4.9 inches (124 mm) shorter than the sedan. The Hatchback also gets its own unique taillight treatment, with a full-width light bar connecting the units. Unique five-door colors include the pictured Boost Blue and Smoky Mauve.

Honda hasn’t focused on only new looks here. A new hinge design allows for a lower hatch roof height, and the opening is 1.6 inches (40 mm) wider, too. Rear-seat leg room is up 1.4 inches (36 mm), with no reduction in head room. Under the skin, the 11th-generation Civic is 19 percent stiffer in torsional rigidity.

Honda will offer both existing Civic engines in the Hatchback. Base LX models come with the 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder, producing 158 hp and 138 lb-ft of torque. Higher trims use the turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder with 180 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque on 87 octane gas. A CVT is available, as is a revised, shorter-throw six-speed manual transmission. Honda is promising this will be the “most fun-to-drive Civic Hatchback ever.” We hope so, since it will form the basis for the next Civic Type R.

Inside, the Civic Hatchback carries the same classy interior we just experienced in our 2022 Civic Sedan first drive review. Higher-end models will feature a 9.0-inch infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, Bose sound system, and wireless charger. Lower trims use a digital-analog hybrid instrument panel, and a smaller 7.0-inch touchscreen with wired phone mirroring.

Every Civic Hatchback will come standard with the Honda Sensing suite of driver assists, including automated emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and Traffic Jam Assist. Sport Touring trims add in Low-Speed Braking Control.

For the first time, production of the Civic Hatchback will happen in America, at Honda’s Greensburg, Indiana plant. Cars will arrive in American and Canadian dealerships this autumn; pricing will arrive closer to its on-sale date.

Discuss this story at our Honda Civic Forum.

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