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Honda Civic Hybrid looks and acts conventional but it's not
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- We notice nothing unusual about the compact-class sedan delivered curbside by a valet at the Little Rock airport parking deck: With four doors and two rows of seats in the cabin, this car looks entirely conventional with its low-cast prow, aerodynamic roofline and the notchback-style truck in back.
While tossing our luggage in the rear bay, we see the nameplate on the tail.
So it's a Civic, the small-car sedan from Honda that's also the best-selling compact-class vehicle in America.
Now drop into the driver's bucket seat, buckle the safety belt and unleash the parking brake, then slip the manual shifter stick into the first of five forward gears and we're soon zipping south on Airport Road and heading for the I-440 freeway that leads into town.
Yet a traffic signal at the intersection with East Roosevelt Road just before the freeway on-ramp prompts us to pause for a red light. While stopped with the gearbox in neutral, Civic's engine suddenly ceases to hum, although gauges in the dash indicate the motor's still on.
Then the traffic signal turns to green so we press the accelerator and Honda's engine comes alive again with the familiar sound as Civic leaps across the intersection.
That engine action -- seeming to stall when paused in neutral but waking up again and kicking ahead when prompted -- becomes our first clue that this Civic may not be so conventional after all.
A second indicator is apparent from a cluster of special gauges in the instrument cluster that provide instantaneous performance information about fuel economy, engine operation and power integration with an on-board electric motor and battery pack.
Now we get it: This particular Civic, despite trappings of a conventional car, is actually rather special.
It's an economy car motivated by alternative power.
Honda calls it the Civic Hybrid.
Pop the hood and peer into the engine compartment and you may observe that Civic Hybrid stocks not one but two motors. There's a thrifty but conventional 1.3-liter four-cylinder plant that operates on gasoline plus a battery-powered electric motor of permanent-magnet design.
The car draws from both in a hybrid arrangement designed to maximize fuel economy.
A car that uses two engines can conserve on fuel?
This one -- tagged by Honda as the world's most fuel-efficient sedan in mass production -- clearly does.
Fuel efficiency tests conducted by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicate that the dual-engine hybrid arrangement achieves fuel economy figures approximately a third higher than a Civic rigged with only a gasoline engine.
The conventional Civic in DX trim with five-speed manual transmission tied to a 1.7-liter four-in-line plant rated at 115 hp earns fuel figures of 32 mpg in town and 39 mpg on the road.
By contrast, the hybrid version of Civic with five-speed manual shifter hooked to a smaller gas-powered engine plus the battery-fired electric motor rates at 46 mpg city and 51 mpg highway.
With a fuel tank holding 13.2 gallons and the battery able to recharging itself, Civic Hybrid can travel 500 miles or more before requiring additional fuel.
In addition to thrifty fuel economy, this Honda produces fewer greenhouse gases and qualifies as an ultra low emission vehicle (ULEV), emitting emissions with less-than-normal hydrocarbons and nitrous-oxide molecules.
Consider the Civic Hybrid as a culmination of research by Honda into automotive technologies using lighter vehicles equipped with more efficient and cleaner engines. It also takes a giant stride into the future of automotive design in a process which unites lightweight but strong structural elements with innovative power sources and high-tech computer controls.
But the beauty of Honda's dual-engine power system is that Civic Hybrid looks and acts like a conventional car and delivers more than adequate acceleration for city driving and even speedy moves on a freeway.
Virtually silent at start-up due to its electric motor connection, Honda's hybrid leaps to action on command with the gasoline engine kicking up fast-fired acceleration.
Primary power comes from the four-cylinder gasoline-powered engine, an ultra-efficient plant composed of lightweight materials like aluminum, magnesium and durable plastics. It uses low-friction and lean-burn techniques with Honda's wizardry of variable valve control to produce 85 hp at 5700 rpm and torque numbers of 87 lb-ft at 3300 rpm.
Secondary power is delivered by the high-output permanent-magnet electric motor tied to a 144-volt nickel-metal hydride battery. It makes 10 kilowatts of power, or 13 hp at 3000 rpm with 46 lb-ft of torque at 1000 rpm.
A power control unit called Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) regulates the electric charge from the battery, then uses electricity generated through vehicle braking and decelerating to recharge the unit so it never needs to be plugged in for recharging like an electric vehicle.
The IMA switches between electric and gas engines depending on usage to conserve fuel and control emission gases, and in certain situations -- such as when the vehicle's manual transmission is placed in neutral position -- the gas engine is actually shut off momentarily.
But step on the gas and it kicks in again, instantly.
The electric motor also enhances the power of the engine in circumstances such as accelerating from a standing start -- it adds a boost to help overcome inertia, then cuts back and defers to the gas engine once underway.
On the instrument panel, you may observe this process through the electronic display. It indicates when each engine is utilized, and when the battery is being recharged.
Standard is the five-speed manual gearbox, but a continuously variable transmission (CVT) is also available.
Also standard is a significant list of contents including frontal and side-impact air bags, brakes with anti-lock brake system (ABS) and electronic brake distribution (EBD), an automatic climate controller, power windows and cruise control, keyless entry system plus an audio kit with CD deck.
All of the complex technology as applied to Civic Hybrid should load the bottom line considerably yet Honda brings it to market for the MSRP of $19,550 with manual transmission or $20,550 for the CVT.
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID Specs |
| Description: |
Compact hybrid sedan
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| Model Options: |
Compact hybrid sedan
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| Wheelbase: |
103.1 inches
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| Overall Length: |
174.8 inches
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| Engine Size: |
1.3-L I4 VTEC
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Magnet 10 kW Electric Motor
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| Transmission: |
MT: Manual/5
CVT: Continuously Variable
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| Drive: |
Front
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| Braking: |
Power disc/drum
ABS/EBD
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| Airbags: |
2 (front) + 2 (side)
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| Gas Mileage: |
MT: 46/51 mpg
CVT: 48/47 mpg
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| Price: |
MT: $ 19,550
CVT: $ 20,550 |
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