LARGER ENGINE, LITHIUM-ION BATTERY DELIVER GAINS
Perhaps most surprising is that Honda managed to achieve this result while relying on its less advanced Integrated Motor Assist hybrid system; a more rudimentary arrangement than the two-mode hybrids used by almost every other automaker and popularized by Toyota. The big difference, however, is that Honda opted for a high-tech Lithium-Ion battery pack – quickly becoming the norm over the old Nickel Metal Hydride units. The new Li-On pack makes 7 more hp than the old model for a total of 27-hp, plus it’s roughly a third smaller in both size and weight.
The other factor is that like when Toyota moved from the 2nd to 3rd gen Prius, Honda has decided to opt for a larger displacement engine. Gone is the old 1.3-liter in favor of a larger 1.5-liter 4-cylinder. Total power output does remain the same at 110-hp, although it comes on 500 rpm earlier at 5500 rpm. A total of 127 lb-ft of torque is now also available, up 4 lb-ft from before, and it’s offered over a wider rpm range. In general this is designed to deliver added power for real world driving conditions, and while it is a step in the right direction, the difference is mostly negligible from a driver’s perspective.
A 3-mpg gain, while respectable, is hardly ground breaking and the efforts to bring the IMA system into the modern era seem excessive for the rewards.
Paired with regenerative braking and start-stop technology, drive the Civic Hybrid in traffic and it’s easy to see why Honda is going it alone with its hybrid setup. The excessively grabby brakes of the previous generation model have been fixed for a more natural feel, however, the start-stop feature is unrefined at best.
