2020 Honda Civic Hatch - What’s new?

The Honda Civic needs no introduction. It is a car that has now lived for over 45 years and will be commemorating its golden jubilee soon enough in 2022. Soon after its inception in the year 1972, the Japanese icon was launched down under in 1973 itself. Since then, Honda Civic has found 25 million homes around the world in 48 years. And, if we talk about Australia in particular, as many as 360,000 Honda Civics have walked out of Honda facilities in the country since 1973.

Moving ahead, the automobile space is evolving at a rapid pace. And, to stay in contention and give the newer rivals a run for their own money, the Honda Civic has got to keep getting better in every aspect with each passing model year. With that said, Honda Australia recently launched the 2020 Civic hatchback in the country, and the updated hatch gets quite a few interesting upgrades in terms of visual, comfort & convenience, and most importantly, safety aspect. But, before we go ahead and have a look at the upgrade, here is a loot at 2020 Honda Civic hatch price list:

Variant	Engine	Price
VTi	1.8L i-VTEC	$22,790
VTi-S	1.8L i-VTEC	$24,990
VTi-L	1.5L VTEC Turbo	$28,390
RS	1.5L VTEC Turbo	$33,540
VTi-LX	1.5L VTEC Turbo	$34,090

Appearance

It is not as if the Honda Civic hatch wasn't a looker already. It certainly was. The 2019 Honda Civic came flaunting some serious design upgrades and boasted a bold & sleek styling that provided the Japanese icon with a muscular, intimidating, and highly-enticing stance.

But for the model year 2020, the Civic hatch becomes even better and is going to make you fall for it even harder than you did for the 2019 unit. For starters, the updated hatch gets an all-new Ignite Red metallic finish option that is available across the range. Then there is the RS-specific Phoenix Orange pearlescent paint scheme. Wait, there more as we see another finish option coming in the form of Taffeta White flat paint that can be availed with all but the RS trim.

Coming on to the alloy wheels, the Civic RS hatch gets a brand new set of uniquely designed 18-inch alloys that come clothed with 235/40 ZR18 95Y Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres. Not only these improve the grip but also offer a more responsive handling experience to the driver. Furthermore, the VTi and VTi-S also get fresh alloy wheel designs, and the VTi-L model now rides on dark grey finished 17-inch alloy wheels. At last, the VTi-LX variants vaunts the same alloys that we previously found on the RS trim, albeit in a new dark grey finish. Honda has also tweaked the front and rear bumpers and given the hatch a new front grille design. Not only that, the RS trim now gets a new rear diffuser design. The last visual change on the 2020 Honda Civic is the addition of rear privacy glass on the VTi-S variant.

Tech & comfort on the inside

The changes made to the hot hatch are not confined to the exterior as we find various tweaks also on the inside of the hot hatch. Honda has redesigned the Advanced Display Audio touchscreen to offer a more intuitive user experience. And, to achieve the same, the Japanese automaker has added a dedicated volume control knob and hard keys for other commonly used functions such as Home, Audio, Telephone, and Back. Note that the new volume key also comes fused with audio on/off functions.

There are also new dashboard trim inserts, which now sport a geometric embossed finish. As for the upholstery, all the models starting from VTi-S now get chequered-accent seat trims. The RS, on the other hand, swaggers red seat-trim stitching for a sporty ambiance. Finally, Honda has added push buttons for easy one-touch fan speed adjustment on the dual-zone air-con system.

Stuff under the hood

Honda did not find it necessary to make any changes to the mechanicals on the new 2020 Civic hatch, and we continue to see the same 1.8-litre SOHC i-VTEC in-line four-cylinder and the 1.5-litre DOHC VTEC Turbo in-line four-pot engines powering the new Civic. Speaking of power figures, have a look at the following table for how powerful the above-mentioned two engines are:

Engine	Power Figures	Transmission
1.8-litre SOHC i-VTEC in-line four-cylinder	139 PS & 174 Nm	CVT
1.5-litre DOHC VTEC Turbo in-line four-cylinder	170 PS & 220 Nm	CVT

As mentioned in the table above, both the engines come mated to a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). Also, both the engines are Euro 5 compliant and feature Drive By Wire throttle (DBW). For an engaging and sporty driving experience, the VTi-LX and the RS variants also get steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

Safety

The major upgrade on the new Honda Civic hatch specs sheet happens in the safety department, as we now see the high-end Honda Sensing safety suite being standard across the lineup. The Honda Civic VTi-L and RS variants, which previously missed out on the advanced safety package, are now just as safe as the other models in the lineup.

With the Honda Sensing safety suite now part of the standard equipment across the range, each model of the 2020 Honda Civic now features Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS), Road Departure Mitigation System (RDM), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow (LSF), High Beam Support System, LaneWatch, Straight driving steering assist, Traction Control System (TCS), Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), and Tyre Deflation Warning System (DWS).

Moreover, also present on all Civic hatchback models are other regular safety features including multiple SRS airbags, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Agile Handling Assist System (AHAS), Brake Assist system (BA), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Emergency Stop Signal (ESS), Hill Start Assist (HSA), front & rear parking sensors, multi-angle reversing camera with dynamic or fixed guidelines, ISOFIX child seat mounts, child-proof rear door locks, engine immobiliser, and a security alarm system.

Since the 2020 Honda Civic is now the better looking and also better equipped than before, the Japanese icon carries a little premium over the previous prices. However, the new features and tech make sure that the increased price tags are justified. "When you factor in the additional safety technology and the improved functionality of the major cabin controls, the new Civic hatch offers the complete package – performance, quality and reliability, wrapped in a sleek and modern sporty exterior that is sure to catch the eye of small car buyers", said Honda Australia Director Stephen Collins.

That was all that is new on the 2020 Honda Civic hatch. Hasn't the hot hatch become all that more attractive alongside being safer than ever? Muscular appearance. premium interior with all trendy tech & practical features, and a potent powertrain, could there be a better car than the new 2020 Honda Civic hatch? Also, with the Civic RS hatch now equipped with Honda Sensing safety suite, we bet you're gonna put a heavier foot on the pedal!

Also read: Toyota Corolla Sedan - All you need to know