Resources for the Washington DC area

About the
2006 Honda Civic Hybrid
 

photos

The 2006 Civic Hybrid's results in the government's crash tests are outstanding:

Vehicle	Frontal Star Rating based on risk of head & chest injury		Side Star Rating based on risk of chest injury		Rollover Rating
	Driver	Passenger	Front Seat	Rear Seat	2 wheel drive	4 wheel drive
2006 Honda Civic Hybrid 4-DR. w/SAB (PC/C)

Improvements:

AT-PZEV emission technology in all 50 states

an approximate 20% increase in system output over the current system

a 3-stage i-VTEC engine that employs Honda's intelligent VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control)

improved fuel economy by 5% over 2005 Civic Hybrid

the electric motor has 1.5 times that of the current model while maintaining the same size

battery output has been increased by around 30% over the 2005 model with increased battery cooling

improved regenerative braking system which captures more energy while braking and also improves brake "feel"

improved air conditioner

enhancements to Honda's IMA system

According to Honda R&D managing director Tsuneo Tanai "the vehicle's driving performance is the same or probably better" than the Toyota Prius.

Also, the new Civic utilizes Honda's Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure for improved occupant protection and compatibility with larger vehicles in a collision, the first application of this technology in a compact-class vehicle. This design spreads the energy in an impact over a larger area.

image credit: Honda

The new Civic is priced at $21,850, or $23,350 when equipped with Honda's optional satellite linked navigation system. The new model is only available with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT); the manual transmission version has been discontinued.

updated Jan. 2006