With the 10th-generation Civic on the way for 2016, Honda's taking a step back to rethink the approach it's taken to this car, and there are some surprising changes in store—including the imminent demise of the 2014 Honda Civic Hybrid and the CNG-powered 2014 Honda Civic Natural Gas.
Wait, seriously? The manufacturer that introduced the world's first hybrid and prides itself on offering an eco-friendly vehicle lineup is dumping its alt-fuel versions?
According to a recent Honda press release, it is true. Honda's going to be concentrating on improving fuel efficiency through conventional means. The new Civic will also feature Honda's first turbocharged engine. That's not a huge surprise; other manufacturers, including Mazda, Ford and Mini have all produced small cars with hybrid-challenging fuel economy using conventional methods. And in the marketplace, the lower cost of non-hybrids often wins out. Honda, long an innovator in small engines, seems to be going in the same direction with the turbo Civic. The company says the gasoline version of the next-generation Civic is expected to return 40 mpg or more on the freeway. At that point, the $7,000 trade-off for another 7 mpg in the Civic Hybrid is hard to swallow!
Additionally, the Civic Hybrid was a relatively low-profile car, especially when compared to the Toyota Prius, the electric Nissan Leaf and range-extended electrics like the Chevy Volt. It appears that many hybrid buyers want to wear battery power on their sleeves, so to speak, and the low-key Civic Hybrid suffered the same cost penalties as other hybrids without offering the same green-snob appeal. Honda does plan to continue improving the 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid, so it's not walking away entirely.
