2006 Honda Civic Hybrid Test Drive

Civic Duty

Honda's compact gas/electric hybrid has grown up. Its gas mileage averages in the low- to mid-forties and we found the car just as pleasant to drive as regular Civics.

Did You Know ...

Honda was first to the U.S. market with a gasoline/electric hybrid, introducing the diminutive two-seater Insight to American consumers in 1999. That was followed by the first Civic Hybrid in March 2002 and then the Accord Hybrid in December 2004. Honda is also planning to launch hybrid versions of the Fit and CR-V.

The Honda Civic has been a green-technology leader from the start. The first-generation Civic, introduced in 1975, featured an inventive Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion four-cylinder engine that allowed it to meet Clean Air Act emissions standards — quite stringent for the time — without a catalytic converter. It was the only vehicle to do so.

In the city, when the Civic Hybrid is able to operate strictly on the electric motor, the three-stage i-VTEC system shuts down the gasoline engine and stops opening the intake and exhaust valves, resulting in reduced drag on the hybrid powertrain.