2022 Honda Civic Hatchback Sport Touring Manual

Intro

The Honda Civic has undoubtedly been one of the most successful vehicles in North America. The 10th generation Civic sold more than 1.7 million units, and the hatchback version accounts for more than 20 percent of that figure. 

Enthusiasts appreciate the fun-to-drive nature of the Civic, especially when it is equipped with Honda’s excellent manual transmission. So when Honda announced that, for the first time, the 2022 Civic Sedan would not be available with a stick shift, it seemed like a huge loss for the dwindling, but dedicated stick-shift loving community.

In a surprising turn of events, when the 2022 Civic Hatchback was revealed, not only did Honda make the upgraded 6-speed manual transmission available for both the naturally-aspirated 2.0L and 1.5L turbocharged engines, a new Civic Si sedan will be available exclusively with three pedals.

It is certainly welcome news for manual lovers. As a member myself, I shared the excitement. Thanks to Honda Canada, I was loaned the all-new 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback Sport Touring with the manual transmission for one week. Below is my unbiased review.

Exterior

The 2022 Civic hatchback shares the same sporty, yet sophisticated design language with the new sedan. The hatchback does come with some unique styling cues, including a distinctive mesh grille, a sportier coupe-like profile, and a 4.9” shorter tail compared to the sedan. 

The Civic looks grounded with a low hood and a sweeping horizontal beltline. Our tester comes with 18” shark gray alloy wheels that give the car a clean, proportional look. 

Compared to the previous generation, the new Civic hatchback has a slightly longer wheelbase, a slightly wider rear track, a larger greenhouse, and a lower roof line. The last one is made possible by a new lightweight composite hatch structure that allows a more compact hinge mechanism to be used.

At the rear, the Civic hatchback has a unique light signature with a distinctive taillight design and a brake light under the lip spoiler that spans nearly the entire width of its hatch. The rectilinear dual chrome exhausts are placed on the sides as opposed to the dual-centered exhaust pipes found in the previous model.

Interior

Perhaps one the biggest improvements of the Civic is its interior. It has a more mature design that is modern and user-friendly.

The older style in-dash infotainment screen is replaced by a floating screen that sits at eye-level. This frees up the center dash for a clean and uncluttered cabin design. The striking metal honeycomb instrument panel ascent hides the air vents and elevates the class of the cabin. 

While hard plastics are expected at this price range, Honda made considerable efforts to stylize them for a more expensive look. More importantly, class-above materials are implemented for touchpoints such as switchgears, armrests, and the shift lever.

Outward visibility is improved with pulled-back A-pillars, door mounted side mirrors, low hood, and flat dashboard. Honda’s new Body Stabilizing Seat is standard for all grades. It enhances comfort for longer drives by adding leg and shoulder supports. Our Sport Touring trim tester is equipped with perforated leather seats, while standard Civics get cloth or combination seat surfaces. 

Rear passengers enjoy 1.4” of additional legroom compared to the previous generation. The outward visibility from the rear cabin is much improved thanks to larger side windows and smaller corner windows in the C-pillar. The rear window is now a single piece, creating a more spacious feel. Even though the roofline is lowered, rear headroom is preserved thanks to the new hatch hinge design.

Infotainment

The 2022 Civic hatchback is definitely more technologically advanced. Standard models get a new 7” color touchscreen with USB Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. Our tester comes with a 9” color touchscreen that features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. I am an Android user, and the wireless Android Auto is a feature that I greatly enjoy. I appreciate the fact that Honda keeps a physical volume knob and hard buttons for Home and Back functions. They clearly listen to the customers and critics. Moreover, a small 0.8” finger rest below the screen provides a stable surface when interacting with the touchscreen. Qi-compatible wireless charging is standard for the Sport Touring trim, so is a 12-speaker premium Bose audio system. 

For the first time, the instrument display is completely digital. The 10.2” full-color LCD display is crisp and highly configurable. The display can be either a traditional layout of round needle-and-dial gauge displays or a bar-graph style design. The middles of the display is used to indicate the status of various Honda Sensing safety and driver-assist features. 

Safety and Driver Assistance

The 2022 Civic Hatchback includes multiple new active and passive safety systems. A new airbag system cradles and holds the head to reduce rotation upon impact. The body structure has been redesigned to improve angled frontal collisions and side impacts. 

Also, a new Honda Sensing suite of activated safety and driver-assist technologies are standard for all trims. Instead of a radar & camera based system, the new system uses a single camera with a wider field of view and a more powerful processor to quickly identify objects on the road. It improves on existing functionality, such as more natural braking and quicker reactions when using Adaptive Cruise Control. 

The 2022 Civic hatchback earns a Top Safety Pick+ rating from IIHS, the highest from the agency.

Driving

The 11th-generation Civic Hatchback comes with two engine choices: a naturally aspirated 2.0L 4-cylinder engine that produces 158 hp and 138 lb.-ft. of torque, and a turbocharged 1.5L 4-cylinder engine that produces 180 hp and 177 lb.-ft. of torque on regular unleaded gas. Both engine options can choose between a CVT or a 6-speed manual transmission. 

The new 6-speed manual feels solid. The clutch action is very predictable, and the short-throw shifter has a firm, well-defined gate. A new dual-mass flywheel helps reduce vibration transmitted through the drivetrain. It is a very beginner friendly manual transmission. 

The highlight of the new Civic is the way it handles. The new body structure increases torsional rigidity of the car by 19 percent. In addition, a longer wheelbase and a wider rear track adds to the stability of the car. The front MacPherson strut, rear multi-link suspension is fine-tuned for North America. You can be confident throwing the car into corners. Honda claims that the 2002 Civic hatchback is the most fun-to-drive Civic hatchback ever, and I agree. 

A rigid chassis and tight suspension doesn’t mean the ride quality has to suffer. The use of structural adhesives, spray-in foam in the pillars, added sound deadening in the firewall and under the floor reduces noise and vibration permeating into the cabin.

The 2022 Civic Hatchback 1.5T is rated at 8.5L/100km city, 6.3L/100km highway, and 7.5L/100km combined for the manual, and 7.7L/100km city, 6.3L/100km highway, and 7.1L/100km combined for the CVT. I am more than willing to sacrifice a little fuel economy for the manual. 

Cargo Space & Storage

The lowered roof line did not make the cargo area smaller, the opposite is true in fact. There is 693L of cargo volume behind the second row seats. That is 53L more than the previous generation. The 60/40 rear seats fold almost completely flat. The trunk bed is not entirely flat. However, the change in height is eased by a sloped section for easier loading. 

The innovative rolling trunk cover can be easily detached and stored. To provide complete cover of the trunk area from prying eyes, an additional shade can be found attached to the rear windshield. Under the trunk floor is a full-size spare tire, along with a jack for emergency tire change. 

Interior storage compartments are slightly smaller than the last generation. Both the center console storage bin and the glove compartment are slightly smaller than average. The side door pockets are decently sized, and two additional cup holders can be found in the rear folding armrest. 

Verdict

The 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback is no doubt an upgrade to the previous generation. The slick, yet elegant exterior and the mature interior should attract a wider audience. For car enthusiasts, Honda manages to make the Civic even more fun to drive, and gifted us with a stick-shift option for all grades. It is a car that offers tremendous value with few compromises. 

Test Vehicle

2022 Honda Civic 5D Sport Touring Manual 

MSRP

$28,650 CAD Base

$35,650 CAD As Tested (Sport Touring)

Color

Boost Blue