If it wasn’t painfully obvious from our glowing breakdown of the all-new 2022 Honda Civic, we’re stoked about Honda’s new compact superstar. The 11th-generation Civic’s conscious stylistic shift away from the origami edges of the outgoing car to this new, sleekened profile is a welcome move, particularly on the inside. We crawled around in the new Civic as part of the debut proceedings, and we reckon the fresh threads will be one of the redesigned car’s strongest selling points; based on how fabulous the outgoing car was to drive, that’s saying a lot. Here’s what to expect when you get your first in-person peek of the cabin.
We suspect ardent Honda nerds may find the new horizontal, pared-down environment vaguely familiar. If you do, good eye—the new cabin pulls inspiration from the stylish and very adorable Honda e (yup, lowercase) subcompact EV hatch that hums around streets abroad. Really, the 2022 Civic‘s interior space is a clean blend of the Honda e’s modernist vibe, the outgoing 10th-gen Civic’s populist appeal, and the current Accord’s handsome, reserved lines.
It looks great, but don’t expect any dramatic leaps forward in luxury or materials. The current Civic’s mix of hard- and soft-touch plastics are some of the best in the segment. If you took no umbrage with the current/outgoing car, the new Civic just repackages similar stuff in a more visually appealing package. Our hands-on experience was limited to the mid-level Sport and top-level Touring, and there was little difference in materials between the two aside from the requisite leather-wrapped touchpoints and some textured trim plates. Speaking of trim, one of the standout pieces is the neat hexagonal honeycomb mesh stretching across the center of the dash in an unbroken line. It’s slightly recessed, and looks sharp in person. Aside from the modern visual motif, the grate hides the air-vents, the direction of each controlled by a short joystick positioned at each vent.
The center console is not dramatically different than the prior car, but it appears lower and less intrusive than the 10th-gen Civic’s console, which created a somewhat divided design between driver and passenger. The CVT’s shifter is a carryover, but it’s repositioned closer to the driver on the left side of the console. At least on the Sport and the Touring, a new textured trim plate is premium-ish and fingerprint resistant, ensuring some surfaces won’t look gross-‘n-greasy after only light use.
The HVAC controls sit beneath the honeycomb grille, comprising a set of three backlit knobs for the traditional mode, fan speed, and temperature functions. Beneath that, there’s the requisite storage tray for devices that features Qi wireless charging on the Touring trim. Move back down the center console behind the shifter, and a drive mode selector toggles either Normal or Eco modes on the LX and EX, and an additional Sport mode for the Sport and Touring trims.
The new Civic’s infotainment sees one of the biggest boosts. The standard 7.0-inch infotainment touchscreen is sizable and quick to operate, and the same goes for the Touring’s 9.0-inch screen. Rejoice—there are physical knobs for the volume and tuning control regardless of the screen size, so no more awkward touch sliders.
A physical “home” button is present too, as is standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and below each infotainment screen—regardless of size—is a 0.8-inch cushioned ledge that serves as a finger rest, eliminating the need to hold the top of the screen and use your thumb. Audiophiles should also take note of the Civic Touring’s 12-speaker Bose sound system, the first name-brand sound system ever offered in a Civic.
The digitization continues with the driver’s display. On every trim other than Touring, a 7.0-inch color display features a fully digital speedometer and tachometer on the left with the standard suite of data and info scrawl, complimented by a physical speedo on the right. The Touring wears an exclusive—we’re seeing a recurring theme here—all-digital 10.2-inch gauge cluster, the first ever fitted to a Civic.
If you’re familiar with other digital gauge clusters from companies like Audi and Mercedes, navigating the Civic’s will be a breeze. All the familiar hallmarks are there, including a configurable layout between traditional circular gauge displays or a set of tach/speedo bars pushed to the outside. Pertinent infotainment and driver assist info sits in the center, just above a cutesy little easter egg in the form of a virtual Civic sedan; viewed from behind, the tiny Civic’s taillights, headlights, and indicators all activate in tandem with the lighting systems on the actual car.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to poke around the rear seat space, but it appeared to be similarly outfitted to the 10th-generation Civic. We’ll keep an ear to the ground for more in-depth information on what your rear-seat passengers can expect on the subject of device charging and A/C vents, if any.
So, if you’re in the market for a new compact sedan, get excited. From our limited time spent inside the 2022 Honda Civic sedan, we’re highly impressed with the new, modernist design and stylish new trim. Look for more info on the new car’s availability and pricing closer to the car’s production launch later this year.
