The Honda Civic is a reliable player in the ever-competitive compact car segment, with some of the best value and reliability on the market. The Civic entered its 11th generation for the 2022 model year and competes with cars like the Volkswagen GTI, Mazda Mazda3, Toyota Corolla, and Kia Forte.

What’s New for the 2023 Honda Civic Hatchback

Since the Civic was just redesigned for 2022, there isn’t much new for 2023, though interestingly enough, the biggest change is specific to the Civic Hatchback. The high-performance Civic Type R returns, and it’s available exclusively with a hatch. The base LX trim was discontinued across the Civic lineup, pushing entry-level buyers to the Sport trim—which is a better value anyway.

Design

From the front, the 2023 Civic Hatchback bears a close resemblance to the Civic’s sedan design, though the grille features a different pattern. The rest of the body is unique, though, with an undeniably sporty, though still polarizing, design, due in large part to the hatchback’s stubby rear end. Most Civic Hatchback models get 17- or 18-inch alloy wheels, but the Type R comes with 19-inchers. This model also gets distinctive Brembo brakes, a large rear spoiler, and a center exhaust system with three outlets.

Powertrain

The Civic Hatchback comes standard with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque, which can be paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT )or a six-speed manual transmission. In EX-L and Sport Touring trim, the Civic Hatchback gets a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine rated for 180 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque. The performance-oriented Civic Type R boasts a 315-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and comes exclusively with a six-speed manual transmission. Front-wheel drive (FWD) is standard across the lineup.

Interior

Though all seats in the Civic Hatchback offer good space, the driver’s seat has more adjustability than the front passenger. The rear positions have few amenities, but they do get dedicated USB ports. Cloth comes standard in the Sport trim, while the EX-L and Sport Touring get black leather. The Civic Hatchback’s cargo hold can swallow an impressive 24.5 cubic feet, and the rear bench has a 60/40 split fold for more versatility.

Technology

The base infotainment system in the 2023 Civic Hatchback is a 7-inch touchscreen display, a 7-inch instrument display, which includes some physical controls, and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. In the top-tier Sport Touring trim, the touchscreen is upgraded to a 9-inch version,and adds a 10.2-inch instrument display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, navigation, and a 12-speaker Bose audio system.

Safety

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the 2023 Honda Civic Hatchback gets a Top Safety Pick rating (though that doesn’t apply to the Type R). The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awards a five-star overall rating. Standard features include adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assistance, low-speed following capability, and traffic-jam assist. Keep in mind that some of these features aren’t available on models with a manual transmission.

Pricing

As of this writing, Honda lists the MSRP of the 2023 Civic Hatchback as $25,850 for the base Sport trim. The EX-L starts at $28,150, and the Sport Touring starts at $30,950. The Civic Type R, which Honda considers a separate model, has a starting price of $43,295, which is a significant increase but in line with other performance-oriented compact car variants such as the Subaru WRX STI and Volkswagen Golf R.