The Honda Civic Hybrid, the first mainstream vehicle sold in North America equipped with a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain, now includes improved standard equipment and new front and rear styling for 2004.
Like the 2004 Civic Sedan, the Civic Hybrid sports an aggressive new appearance. Contributing to the sleeker, more aggressive look are new front and rear fascias, hood, front grille and headlights.
Improved content is also evident just about everywhere you look inside the 2004 Civic Hybrid. But the real story behind owning a hybrid is being able to drive for more than 600 miles on a single tank of fuel.
The Civic Hybrid CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) earns an EPA city/highway rating of 48/47 mpg, while models equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission achieve a city/highway rating of 46/51 mpg.
With gas prices going up and down like a roller coaster, owning a vehicle like the Civic Hybrid will definitely reduce your trips to the pump and allow you save or spend your money on other things.
The Civic Hybrid uses Honda's innovative Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system, employing a 1.3-liter i-DSI (Dual and Sequential Ignition) 4-cylinder gasoline engine coupled with an integrated high-output electric motor/generator to provide excellent performance and fuel efficiency.
The system's compact nickel metal hydride battery module is automatically recharged during braking and deceleration.
Further improving efficiency are an "idle stop" system that shuts off the engine when the vehicle is stopped, and a cylinder idling system that temporarily shuts off three of the engine's four cylinders when the vehicle is slowing or coasting. This leads to reduced engine pumping losses and improved regenerative braking efficiency.
The Civic Hybrid's IMA powertrain provides up to 93 horsepower and 116 lb-ft of torque with the electric motor "assist." Fuel economy is improved by nearly 44 percent compared to a Civic LX Sedan.
The Civic Hybrid comes equipped with a long list of standard features including power windows, door locks and mirrors; cruise control; Immobilizer anti-theft device; dual stage, dual-threshold driver and front passenger air bags; and a tilt steering wheel.
A thin, but powerful electric motor is sandwiched between the 1.3-liter gasoline engine and transmission.
The IMA system essentially "recycles" energy that would otherwise be lost during braking and uses that power for acceleration at a later time.
During acceleration and other times of heavy engine load, the electric motor "assists" the gasoline engine by providing additional torque resulting in improved acceleration without compromising fuel economy.
At cruising speeds when engine load is lower, the motor assist system lets the ultra-efficient gasoline engine maintain the vehicle's speed. During deceleration, the electric motor becomes a generator and converts energy into electricity (regenerative braking). That means you don't have to worry about recharging the batteries, it's done automatically.
Our Civic Hybrid tester came equipped with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). With a CVT, the driver feels no shift points.
Acceleration isn't impressive, but it's not bad, either; especially when you consider the trade-off, fuel economy.
Driving a hybrid is a bit different as you feel a fair amount of engine braking once you lift your foot from the accelerator pedal. Also, there's a bit more engine hesitation during initial acceleration.
Once you get used to those little idiosyncrasies in driving a hybrid, and you see the unbelievable numbers from the instant fuel economy gauge, the quirkiness becomes much less objectionable.
Our Civic Hybrid tester changed the way my co-tester and I drove. We were so intent on seeing big numbers on the instant fuel economy gauge that we accelerated with less forcefulness, and coasted as much as possible while approaching stopped traffic.
Overall, we enjoyed our Civic Hybrid tester. The roomy interior features premium seats and numerous luxury features such as cruise control, power windows, unique illuminated instrument panel meters, an automatic heating and cooling system, and a high-power AM/FM/Compact Disc audio system.
2004 Honda Civic 4dr Hybrid
Engine: 1.3-liter (93 hp) I4 engine with Integrated Motor Assist
Transmission: Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
Drive Type: FWD
Fuel Economy: 48 city/47 highway
Base Price: $20,650
As Tested: $21,140 (includes $490 for destination)
Website: www.honda.com |
