For years US car buyers have stayed away from hatchbacks and wagons, but times are changing. Today if you want a compact hatchback you now have more options than the VW Golf or Mazda3. After abandoning the hatchback segment years ago, Honda has finally brought back the Civic Hatchback and it’s great! Honda gave me the keys to a 2017 Civic Sport with a manual transmission. Here are five things you should know about the 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback:
4So much fun
Honda has redeemed itself with this new Civic. Starting with the introduction of the Civic Sedan with its turbocharged engine, which was followed by the sportier Coupe and now the aggressive, yet versatile Hatchback. Throw the Civic hard into a curve and you’re greeted with impressive handling and an eager powertrain. If you opt for the Civic Sport, not only do you get the extra six horsepower, but you can also mate the turbocharged engine to a six-speed manual. The short throws of the manual transmission and light clutch will easily put a smile on your face. The only negative is that the manual transmission isn’t available on the Sport Touring model, so if you want features, like Apple Car Play, leather seats or more safety tech, you’ll have to deal with the less fun CVT transmission.
Related: 2017 Honda Civic Type R leaked photo reveals $33,900 price tag
The Civic Hatchback handles better than the Civic Sedan, but it’s not totally worthy of the “hot hatch” badge, since the VW GTI is still the top choice with its more powerful engine. The Civic Hatchback is slower than the GTI and its light steering feel leaves you wanting more, but it is more fun to drive than the Civic sedan. Sadly Honda has no plans for a Civic Si Hatchback, so if you want a more hardcore Civic Hatchback, you’ll have to step up to the hardcore Civic Type R.
