About Civic
The Honda Civic arrived in 1972, a tiny hatchback that seemed almost comically small next to American sedans. Then the oil crisis hit, and its fuel economy and clever CVCC engine, which met strict emissions rules without a catalytic converter, made it a sensation. Five decades and eleven generations later, the Civic has become one of the most important cars ever sold in America, a first car for millions and a reliable companion for many more.
Its personality has always had two sides. Mainstream Civics are practical, efficient and easy to live with; enthusiast versions, from the CRX and the 1980s Si to the VTEC-powered cars of the 1990s, made the Civic the backbone of the import tuning scene. The Type R, finally sold in America from 2017, became a front-drive benchmark, with the latest FL5 generation praised as one of the best-driving cars at any price. A hybrid returned to the lineup recently and has since gained the Prelude's simulated-gearshift S+ Shift technology.
The current eleventh-generation Civic, launched for 2022, comes as a sedan and hatchback, with Si and Type R variants; the American versions are built in Indiana and Canada. It competes with the Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda3, Kia K4 and Volkswagen Jetta, and it frequently tops compact-car comparison tests. Follow updates, recalls, Type R news and HRC parts, hybrid reviews, regional launches and the endless debate over which generation was the best.