Honda wan’t the first automaker to put hybrid vehicles in series production. Still, that doesn’t take away anything from the Japanese automaker in making electrified vehicles more mainstream. Without its efforts (and Toyota), hybrids might not be where there are today.
2024 is a very special year for Honda’s hybrid vehicles. That’s because this year marks the 25th anniversary of the company’s hybrid journey. To commemorate that milestone, Honda has made a one-off silver Civic.
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Okay, what makes it so special and why is it a one-off? We’ll get to that a little later, but first, a quick history lesson.
Honda’s first hybrid rolled out in 1999 with the Insight. The quirky little two-door coupe was among the first hybrid vehicles to be sold outside of Japan. Its funky shape wasn’t just for aesthetics, as its sleek outline produced a low drag efficiency rating of just 0.25, the lowest at the time. Coupled with a 1.0-liter, three cylinder engine, achieving 25 km/L was easily attainable.
A few years later, it was followed by the very first Civic Hybrid in 2003. It used a 1.3-liter engine lifted from the Jazz/Fit and was mated to the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system like the one found in the Insight.
Not content with that, Honda tried to prove to the world that hybrids can be quick. In 2005, the company introduced the Accord Hybrid, paring a 3.0-liter V6 to the now-familiar IMA. The result was the fastest Accord of its era and, at the same time, the most efficient one as well.
Honda would later put various iterations of its hybrid systems in a wide variety of models over the years. IMA later evolved into Intelligent Multi Mode Drive or i-MMD. From sports coupes like the CR-Z, practical minivans such as the Freed and Odyssey, luxury sedans like the Legend, and even the NSX, Honda was keen on electrifying its lineup.
Now, we arrive at the latest version of Honda’s hybrid technology, e:HEV. It’s currently applied in most of the company’s Japan market vehicles, as well as popular global models like the HR-V, CR-V, and yes, the Civic to name a few.
So, what makes this silver one-off Civic so special, then? Aside from the fact that it’s the hatchback that we so desperately want here, it’s painted in something called Silveriest Silver. One might giggle at the name, but serious work was put into making the paint.
It was created by artist Stuart Semple and uses 64% real silver flakes and pigments blended in an acrylic suspension. To simplify, the shade you’re seeing here is as close as it gets to the real precious metal. Oh, and it took three days to apply in a climate-controlled area for a smooth and even finish.
Obviously, this one-off car doesn’t get any upgrades under the hood, but the Euro-spec version does use the same hardware as the recently-launched Civic e:HEV in the Philippines. That means a 2.0-liter direct injection Atkinson Cycle engine with two electric motors. Combined output is at 181hp and 315Nm, a solid figure for a ‘standard’ Civic.
As for Honda’s hybrid plans in the Philippines, the company says we can expect more down the line. For us, we’d like to see the HR-V e:HEV here someday and we’re keeping our fingers crossed for the Accord’s comeback, as well as the future Prelude.
