Saving the World Can Be Expensive

The other day gas peaked at $0.997 ($1.104 on West Coast) for a litre of plain ol' regular unleaded. As with any other car with a needle drooping into the red, I pulled into the local refueling station and proceeded to pump away. I was the only person amongst a half a dozen smiling. I can envision it now, played out by the attendants inside. "Is he crazy? Who smiles when gas is nearly a dollar a litre? Profit margins and taxes must

This week I'm behind the wheel of Honda's Civic Hybrid, the cleanest and most efficient member of the Civic Nation. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

not be high enough." I smugly grabbed my receipt from the counter and walk away. Normally, this scenario would have played out with a personal-sized thundercloud over my head and me begrudgingly handing over my hard earned cash for another fix of go-juice, but I'm in luck. This week, I'm behind the wheel of Honda's Civic Hybrid, the cleanest and most efficient member of Civic Nation.

It turns out that with the growing cost of gasoline and some expression of concern for the air we breathe hybrids aren't only for tree-hugging environmentalists anymore. Honda has smartly caught on, realizing that there's plenty of potential to spread its environmental cleanliness to a market full of everyday people such as you and I. The Civic Hybrid is Honda's second electrically-assisted vehicle and one with actual market potential. It may be true that the Insight is the cleanest and most economical mass produced vehicle on the planet, but it found too few takers with its ungainly styling, impractical two-door, two-seat configuration, let alone its high price and the burdens of compromise it puts on buyers.

After passing the rather expensive acid test of selling the Insight to see if there was a market for Hybrid vehicles in North America, the plan to add hybrid assist to the Civic was green-lighted. Frankly, there isn't any better place to start than with the Civic, it's a natural candidate. You don't need to turn the history book pages too far back to see the innovations that have been put in place with the Civic name. With the exception of the EV Plus, the new hydrogen-powered FCV, Honda has always experimented

With thinner 185-width tires on distinctive 14-inch alloy wheels, the Civic's drag coefficiency drops from 0.30 to 0.28, reducing energy loss by some six percent. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

with fuel-efficient R&D tech with the Civic. Examples include the US-only natural gas powered Civic GX NGV, the 'economy special' Civic HX Coupe with its lean-burn engine and CVT gearbox and the car that started it all, the super efficient Civic CCVC of the '70s. Oh, and did I forget to mention that Canadians have regularly voted in numbers with their wallets, that the Civic is their favourite car?

Aside from being based off a vehicle whose strengths are in every desirable trait, the Civic has an unprecedented advantage over the Prius or Insight by having a face that's familiar to its production sibling. Jellybean curves and UFO body styles that afflict - and alienate - the futuristically styled early hybrids are absent in this simple, plain four-door sedan. In a quest to further improve its aerodynamics, Honda tailored a new front air dam and rear spoiler, as well as revising underbody panels to reduce drag. With thinner 185-width tires on distinctive 14-inch alloy wheels, the Civic's drag coefficiency drops from 0.30 to 0.28, reducing energy loss by some six percent. There are a few additional giveaways to the Civic's secret identity, namely the interstellar-sized rooftop antenna and a hybrid badge, outlined in clever green trim. With details so tiny and understated, it takes a keen eye to pick this one out from a crowd. At one point in time or another, you've probably been next to a Civic Hybrid in traffic and didn't even notice.