For a long time, Honda’s interiors were a mess of lines, slashes, different kinds of plastics and a horribly outmoded multimedia system. When it launched in 2022, this Civic followed the HR-V in offering something much more restrained and stylish.
The interior features clean lines and an air-vent grille that runs the width of the dashboard. Honda hasn’t sacrificed ease of use at the altar of style – quite the opposite. The Civic has pleasingly clicky knobs for the cabin temperature and fan speed and plenty of hard buttons for essential functions.
On the whole, the materials aren’t on the same level as those in the Mazda 3 or BMW 1 Series, but they are on a par with what you will find in the Volkswagen Golf and a cut above the Toyota Corolla’s.
The central touchscreen is perched a little inelegantly on top of the dashboard, but then it also doesn’t dominate the interior. With that said, the digital component is the least impressive thing about the Civic. The screen is quite low-resolution and the built-in sat-nav is rather clunky to programme and doesn’t adapt to traffic like the best. We tended to default to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto (both are wireless now but weren’t at launch). It's useful that there are physical ‘back’ and ‘home’ buttons.
Similarly, the digital instrument cluster is clear and simple, but doesn’t offer a great deal more functionality than analogue dials would.
The driving position is good, but the seats could be more comfortable. You sit nice and low (Honda has plenty of SUV alternatives if you prefer to sit higher up) and there's plenty of adjustment in the steering column. However, while the seat has an adjustable cushion angle, it lacks some padding and the seat squab is quite short.
With a total length of 4551mm, the Civic is a significantly longer car than the hatchback versions of the Golf (4284mm) and Corolla (4370mm), and that shows in the interior space it offers.
Rear passengers have considerably more knee room than in those two rivals, and even with the panoramic sunroof, adults can comfortably ride in the back of the Civic.
At 410 litres, the Civic is trumped for boot space by the Skoda Octavia but is very much at the top end of the class. It’s also a practical, usable space, thanks to the hatch that opens wide, and the unusual load cover that opens and closes sideways.
Keep in mind, however, that many rivals, such as the Corolla and Golf, are also available as an estate with a longer wheelbase.
