Updated for 2020 with a few styling tweaks, the 2021 Honda Civic Hatchback enters 2021 with no major changes. Honda offers the Civic touring in four trim levels: LX, Sport, EX, and Sport Touring.

Although the Sport and Sport Touring trims offer a six-speed manual transmission, the other Civic Hatchbacks get only a CVT (which is also available on Sport and Sport Touring.

Regardless of transmission choice, all 2021 Honda Civic Hatchbacks employ a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It makes 180 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. Honda sells another Civic—the Si—with a more powerful engine, but it’s available only with a manual transmission. Folks who want a good-driving Civic but need an automatic will default to the Civic Hatchback.

The Sport trim looks like a sweet spot for driving enthusiasts, with its available manual transmission complementing the already great 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder (standard). You also get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, keyless entry, and an eight-speaker audio system. It’s worth noting, however, that Honda recommends premium-grade fuel for the Sport and Sport Touring trims.

Design-wise, the Civic Hatchback remains a bit polarizing in 2021. A new grille, body-color crossbars, and new wheel designs arrived in 2020, and while some folks love the looks of the Civic Hatchback, others find it to be too busy.

On the bright side, interior materials are good for the Civic’s price point. Buy an EX trim level or above, and you get power-adjustability for the driver’s seat and leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.

There’s decent rear-seat legroom and headroom, too. But the Civic Hatchback doesn’t offer climate control vents in the back, so things can get toasty come summer. Storage space for the front seats is good, with cubbies ahead of the shifter, below the shifter, and behind the shifter.

However, although Honda boast 22.6 cubes behind the back seat, it doesn’t look huge. Other hatchbacks will provide more cargo space. Fold the seat down, however, and you’ll find a more cavernous-looking 46.2 cubic feet.

Similarly, Honda’s infotainment system is hit or miss. The display is sharp and (thankfully) includes a volume knob, but there’s no tuning knob and the vehicle’s voice-control software can cause problems.

Honda Sensing is the company’s advanced driver assistance systems suite. It includes forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. Adaptive cruise control is also included on all CVT-equipped Civic Hatchbacks.

Pricing starts at $22,955 for a base Civic Hatchback, including the $995 destination fee. A top-of-the-line Sport Touring trim will run $30,155 (again, with destination). Fuel economy ranges from 29 mpg city, 35 highway, 32 mpg combined in Sport and Sport Touring (with CVT) to 31/40/34 in LX and EX trims.