This week, I bring you the 2022 North American Car of the Year, the 2022 Honda Civic. I found myself duly impressed by the 11th-generation sedan after becoming first acquainted with the Civic 1.5T Touring last fall. Now I bring you the sportier Si HPT variant. HPT signifies High Performance Tires.
My Si HPT model in Blazing Orange Pearl looks amazing and the color really pops offset against matte black 18-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels surrounded by its high Performance (summer) Tires. Those tires just add $200 to the price but Honda does point out they wear more rapidly than normal passenger car tires.
A low hood flows down to meet slim LED headlights and daytime running lights, and a honeycomb mesh grille. A gloss black rear decklid spoiler and dual chrome exhaust finishers add to its sporty and polished look. You'll find LED tail lamps in back, too. The profile sports crisp lines, body-colored door handles and heated, gloss black side mirrors. Up top you find a one-touch power tilt moonroof.
The Si gives you a spirited ride and fun acceleration with its updated 1.5 Turbo 4-cylinder engine that delivers 200-horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque. It’s only offered with a rev-matching 6-speed manual transmission (the rev-matching is from the Civic Type R). While the Si offers more power than the 1.5T model I reviewed, fuel economy drops slightly.
The Civic's new interior is well-designed and roomy. I have to give special attention to the SI's exclusive black and red cloth front seats. Honda says the new Body Stabilizing sport seats have built-in head restraints, and more prominent shoulder and thigh side supports. I liked them and thought they were well executed, but they do lack power adjustments.
The cabin is a mix of textures that includes gloss black, silver and honeycomb trim accents with red trim. While there are some soft-touch surfaces, you do find quite a bit of plastic.
Standard features include push-button start, variable intermittent wipers, and floor mats.
The center console is home to the drive mode selector, an electric parking brake with automatic brake hold, a button to turn off the automatic start/stop and cupholders.
The roomy second-row seat offers passengers a drop-down center armrest, but no A/C vents or USB ports. There's a 60/40 rear seat split and the trunk offers ample cargo space. An electronic remote trunk release is standard across the lineup. There's no spare like there in the Touring.
The Si is equipped with the lineup's new 9-inch HD touchscreen with a volume knob (that sits a bit high for my reach). The graphics are large, easy to read and colorful. The responsive system features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto along with Bluetooth, HD Radio and SiriusXM. Its multi-view rear camera delivers a great picture and voice recognition works great. Connectivity includes two USB ports in the front.
The Si has a red-accented, partially digital 7-inch driver info display and not the 10-inch digital display on the sedan's Touring model. The information is easy to access via steering wheel controls and easy to read.
You don't find Navigation or a wireless charger on the Si trim. But its Civic-first premium 12-speaker BOSE Audio system sounds terrific.
The Civic Si is without a doubt fun to drive. It's low to the ground stance and 60/40 weight distribution gives you a planted-to-the-ground stance. Its smooth-shifting 6-speed gearbox and stiffer suspension connects you just that much more to the road. You also feel great in its exclusive sport seats. Sport mode is where you'll want to keep it, as usual. Braking is excellent.
Honda Sensing is standard on the lineup. This year, the system adds Traffic Sign Recognition and a driver attention monitor. Rear seat reminder and rear seatbelt reminder are also newly standard across the lineup. The Si is also equipped with Blind Spot Monitoring with CrossTraffic Monitor, Auto Beam Headlights along with Adaptive Cruise Control.
The Civic is priced under $30,000 - a terrific price for all the driving engagement it offers and far below the average new vehicle price these days which is in the $40Ks. This is a vehicle I consider to be actually attainable for people, though I will say the under $30K price tag does mean more plastic and less convenience technology than in higher-priced models.
I'm impressed once again by the all-new Civic and proclaim it a worthy award winner of the 2022 North American Car of the Year crown. In its Si form, this compact sedan delivers a fun and engaging ride along with sporty style at a great price point.