You wouldn’t be wrong to think that Honda’s current hybrid system isn’t terribly old. The brilliant little Civic Hybrid hit the streets in June of last year as a 2025 model, but with a new emphasis on its hybrids, the automaker is already working on a next-generation system. I was given a sneak peek and even got a few laps behind the wheel of the creatively named “Next Generation Hybrid Study” at Honda’s research and development center in Tochigi, Japan.
Honda’s engineers wouldn’t tell me what car I was looking at, but it was incredibly evident that it’s a heavy mid-cycle refresh for the current Civic, which has been in production since late 2021. That being said, the outside isn’t what really matters. Honda says it has developed a nearly totally new hybrid system for its “Mid-Sedan” (read: the Civic), calling it the 5th generation of the hybrid powertrain and an evolution of the 4th-generation system found in the current car. The new system and car are due out sometime in the latter half of 2026 as a 2027 model, and while it might not sound like the most exciting thing in the world, it is a big deal.
Full Disclosure: Honda flew me out to Japan, paid for my food and put me up in a couple of very nice hotels so I could check out what it was working on.
What’s new
Right off the bat, this new power unit gets a new Atkinson-cycle naturally aspirated 2.0-liter direct-injection inline-four. It is not to be confused with the Atkinson-cycle naturally aspirated 2.0-liter direct-injection inline-four in the current Civic Hybrid and upcoming Prelude. They are apparently totally different motors, but the new one is more efficient.
It also has a wholly new transmission, ditching the old coaxial transmission for a single-stage parallel shaft direct drive. Don’t know what that is? Don’t worry about it. Just flick the new column-mounted shifter (oh yeah, the buttons are gone), and you’re on your way. Honda says the car will come with a new battery control system for better efficiency. On top of that, the car adds the S+ Shift simulated gear function we first saw on the Prelude. All in all, the new system is between 181 and 194 pounds lighter than the previous one, which is pretty impressive for a car as small as the Civic.
Honda is hesitant to give away too much information on the specs of its new system. For instance, I’ve got no idea how much power it makes, how big the battery is, how much all-electric range it has or what sort of gas mileage it gets. For reference, the current Civic Hybrid makes 200 horsepower and 232 pound-feet of torque, and the sedan gets 50 mpg city, 47 highway and 49 combined, according to the EPA. It also comes with a 1-kWh battery pack.
Driving the Mid-Sedan
Honda really seemed keen to make this new hybrid platform a bit more fun to drive than it once was, with better acceleration and cornering as well as a plain old more fun-to-drive attitude. Of course, I only got a few laps in this prototype vehicle, but I think the company’s engineers might be onto something.
First of all, they added a new exhaust system, which will apparently make its way to cars in the U.S., and it gives the Mid-Sedan a really raspy, deep sound. It’s something that is definitely missing from the current Civic Hybrid and, if I’m honest, the Prelude in stock form.
As is the case in the ‘Lude, S+ Shift is a ton of fun. Sure, it’s not really necessary, and more likely than not it slows the car down a bit, but it adds a certain something to the experience. The steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles are quick to react, whether you’re going up or down the “ratios” of the eCVT, and the higher you get in the rev range, the better the little four popper sounds — even with the pumped-in noise inside.
Aside from that, well, it drives like a Civic. That’s to say it feels more fun than most compact sedans, but it isn’t exactly a heart-stopping thrill machine. It’s nice, but you’re not going to lose your mind over it. I wish I could tell you about the suspension, but Honda’s test track was a bit too perfect for that. I couldn’t really tell if there was any more power from the new 2.0-liter or revised dual electric motors, but I never drove the old car on track, either. That’s the nature of these prototype drives, I suppose.
A touch inside
I can’t tell you too much about the interior, because a lot of it was covered up, but there are a couple big details I can share with you because you can sort of see them on the in-car camera footage that was shared with me. Firstly, Honda has ditched its controversial-at-best gear selector buttons for a steering wheel-mounted column shifter, similar to what you’d find in a lot of GM products these days. This is a very welcome addition in my opinion. All automatic cars should have column shifters. It just frees up so much space.
The second big one is literally big. You see that big black slab underneath the masking tape on the right-hand side of that photo? Behind that, I suspect, is a large new center screen. Say goodbye to the little 9-inch screen you get in the decked-out Civic Hybrid these days. Honda is finally getting with the times. There’s more to talk about, but Honda said I shouldn’t take pictures of the interior. However, I feel like if they shared these images with me, it’s fair game, no?
The Honda of the future
I know, a revamped compact hybrid isn’t nearly as sexy as a massive electric halo sedan like the 0 Series Saloon, but a car like this being a success is probably far more important to Honda’s short- and long-term goals. As we discussed, Honda’s EV plans have been turned upside down by the Trump administration, and it’s now betting big on hybrids to be the answer while everyone waits on the EV revolution to actually begin.
Honda’s “Mid-Sedan” and the new powertrain that makes it go might not reinvent the wheel, but they show that there is a bit of room to grow in the internal combustion space. That being said, I think we are rapidly reaching the point of diminishing returns. Eventually, engineers are going to reach a point where there’s very little else to wring out of a little gas engine and a couple of small electric motors, but until then, this new setup will certainly do.
