The Civic has been the cornerstone vehicle of Honda since it made its debut nearly half a century ago in 1972. Over the years, the Civic has become one of the most dependable and practical cars on the road, garnering customers across the globe. It ranked as the 7th most purchased car in Canada in 2020. But the 2021 model year is a little different from the rest.
With a brand new generation of the Honda Civic on the horizon, set for release in 2022, Honda decided to trim back the fleet a little in 2021, with the discontinuation of the coupe body style which made the Civic famous. But that doesn’t take anything away from the 2021 Honda Civics models that are still available.
So let’s do a quick 2021 Honda Civic Review to help you get an idea of what it has to offer.
2021 Honda Civic Quick Look
What Is The 2021 Honda Civic?
Even though the coupe body style and Civic Si models have been discontinued (though the Si is expected to be reintroduced next year), there’s still a lot to love about the 2021 Honda Civic. With it’s spacious and functional interior combined with its powerful and responsive drivetrains, the 2021 Honda Civic is a great swan song for the current generation of the popular car.
The 2021 Civic is a bit limited when it comes to its infotainment system and safety features — we’re looking at you, blind-spot monitoring — but it’s still a great vehicle overall. The factory turbocharged engines on some of the trim levels make up for these deficiencies, with their responsiveness and fuel economy. And, while we are still largely in the dark on the next generation of Civics, we hope that the few issues the 2021 model year has will be addressed.
What’s Under The 2021 Honda Civic’s Hood?
With all the different model options, you can expect there to be a few different power plants feeding the 2021 Honda Civic. Across the board, the 2021 Honda Civic is powered by powerful and efficient 4-cylinder engines, some with turbochargers and some without.
From a 158-horsepower motor in the base model to a 306-hp motor in the speedy Type-R, these 4-cylinder Honda motors can just about do it all. Let’s break it down by model and trim to get a better idea of what’s really under the hood of the new Civic.
Trim Level | Engine Performance |
LX | 2.0L 4-cyl, 158 hp & 138 lb-ft torque |
Sport | 2.0L 4-cyl, 158 hp & 138 lb-ft torque |
EX | 1.5L 4-cyl turbo, 174 hp & 162 lb-ft torque |
EX-L | 1.5L 4-cyl turbo, 174 hp & 162 lb-ft torque |
Sport Touring | 1.5L 4-cyl turbo, 180 hp & 177 lb-ft torque |
Type R | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 306 hp & 295 lb-ft torque |
How’s The 2021 Honda Civic’s Interior?
The overall interior of the 2021 Honda Civic is still more than serviceable, but it’ll be a welcome refresh to the design when the new generation of Civics is released next year. The current interior is more spacious than you might think, but that’s also helped by the fact that the coupe has been discontinued, so all that’s left is the more spacious Civic sedans and hatchback.
The seats (both front and rear seats) are more comfortable than most comparable cars, with a bit of sporty feel to them with the additional cushion. The Type R, as expected, has even more side support from an aggressive seat design. But even those are more comfortable than you may expect, with a snug fit that doesn’t make you feel like you’re jammed in there.
The days of all-analog dashboards are long gone, and all models of the 2021 Honda Civic come standard with a digital readout for the speedometer & tachometer, among other things. All six models of the Civic also come with an infotainment system, but the higher-tier models have a much nicer system that’s compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
How’s The 2021 Honda Civic’s Tech?
Honda Sensing
Honda Sensing is not just one thing that makes your life a little better, it’s actually a technology package that comes standard on all 2021 Honda Civic models and includes:
- Forward-collision warning
- Automatic emergency braking
- Lane-keeping assistance
- Adaptive cruise control
- Road-departure mitigation
- Automatic high beams
Honda LaneWatch
Available only on the EX trim and above, a camera on the passenger side mirror shows the lane on your right side right on the touch screen of the infotainment system. Unfortunately there is no camera on the driver’s side, but it helps with your blind spot on the far side of the car.
Bluetooth and USB Connectivity
Any modern car wouldn’t be worth its salt if it didn’t have Bluetooth Connectivity between your phone and car’s infotainment system. The 2021 Honda Civic seamlessly connects to your phone to play your favorite music, make and receive phone calls, and more.
Our Take On The 2021 Honda Civic
Following our 2021 Honda Civic Review, we here at Car Digest are overall fans of the 2021 Honda Civic. We were a little disheartened to hear than news that the standard coupe models — including the famous Civic Si were being discontinued — but Honda did a great job with the remaining sedan, hatchback, and amazing Type R.
The peppy four-cylinder engines that power the 2021 Civic models are high-quality as always, with even the base model seeming to have a little more get-up than other similar cars. But the Civic Type R blows us away performance-wise, who knew you could get so much out of a stock four-cylinder? The interior is spacious and comfortable, but the infotainment system, particularly on the low-trim models, is heavily lacking.
We’re looking forward to the new generation of Honda Civics coming soon for the 2022 model year and all the upgrades that will come along with it!
