Honda Civic Hybrid named 2025 North American Car of the Year

DETROIT: The new Honda Civic hybrid, the electrified variant of America's most popular compact car, has won the 2025 North American Car of the Year (NACOTY) award.

It’s a record-setting fourth win for the Honda Civic, which has won more NACOTY honours than any other nameplate in the over 30-year history of the award.

The win also marks the second honor for the 11th-generation Civic and the seventh time a Honda vehicle has received a North American Car or Truck of the Year award – Honda Civic (2006, 2016, 2022 and 2025), Honda Ridgeline (2006 and 2017) and Honda Accord (2018).

"We are honoured to have leading automotive journalists select the Honda Civic hybrid as the North American Car of the Year,” said Honda Auto Sales assistant vice president Jessika Laudermilk.

"Our fun-to-drive hybrid-electric models are a key part of our Honda electrification strategy, and sales of the new Civic hybrid will ultimately represent about 40% of Civic sales."

The North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year awards honour excellence in innovation, design, safety features, performance, technology, driver satisfaction and value.

Initiated in 1994, vehicles are judged by 50 professional automotive journalists from the United States and Canada who work for independent magazines, television, radio, newspapers, and industry websites.

2025 Honda Civic Hybrid

Positioned at the top of the refreshed 2025 Honda Civic lineup, the new Civic hybrid, offered for the first time as either a sedan or hatchback, combines the fun-to-drive spirit of Civic with the award-winning Honda two-motor hybrid-electric system.

With a combined 200hp and an impressive 315Nm of torque, the new Civic Sport Hybrid and Sport Touring Hybrid are the most powerful non-Type R Civics ever.

Featuring two large and powerful electric motors, the Honda two-motor hybrid system gives Civic hybrid quick, effortless acceleration with outstanding EPA fuel economy ratings – including a 5.6l/100km city rating for Civic Sedan Sport and Sport Touring hybrids.

To further amplify the legendary fun-to-drive spirit and class-leading ride comfort of Civic, the ride and handling dynamics have been optimized with unique spring and damper tuning, and a special tyre developed for Civic hybrid.

Hybrid-electric trims also enjoy the highest levels of cabin quietness and ride comfort in the Civic lineup, with a robust noise reduction package that includes Active Noise Control on all hybrids, and wheel resonators on Sport Touring.

Civic is the longest-running Honda automotive nameplate and one of the top three best-selling passenger cars in America over the past 52 years.

Honda has sold over 15 million Civics in North America since 1973, and the 11th-generation Civic is an unparalleled success.

Honda two-motor hybrid system

Honda is celebrating 25 years of hybrid sales in America. Honda began sales of the first-generation Honda Insight, America's first mass-production hybrid-electric passenger vehicle, in December of 1999.

The new fourth-generation Honda two-motor hybrid system that powers Civic hybrid models delivers a sportier and more pleasant driving experience with exceptional fuel economy ratings.

Variants of the two-motor hybrid system are also available in the Honda Accord and CR-V and represent more than 50% of Accord and CR-V sales.

Praised for its power, efficiency and refinement by the editors at WardsAuto, the Honda two-motor hybrid system powering the 2025 Honda Civic Sedan and Hatchback received a "Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems" award.

This was the second year in a row the Honda hybrid-electric powertrain has received this prestigious honour.

Hybrid-electric system made in Ohio

The new fourth-generation Honda two-motor hybrid-electric power unit is built by associates at the Honda Transmission Plant in Ohio.

It is paired with an all-new 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine made at the Anna Engine Plant in Ohio.

All major components in the engine have been redesigned and improved including the block, which now features stronger main bearing caps, cylinder head, crank, connecting rods and camshafts.

These components are manufactured at the Anna Engine Plant for the first time, improving production efficiencies and increasing capacity.

Honda Civic manufacturing

Honda has produced nearly 12 million Civics in North America, including more than five million in the United States, accounting for more than a quarter of Honda vehicle production in the region since Honda began making cars in America in 1982.

The 11th-generation Civic continues to build on that legacy with production of the Civic Sedan in Alliston, Ontario, Canada, and Civic Hatchback at the company's Greensburg, Indiana plant. Both plants produce Civic hybrid models.