The History of the Honda Civic

The Honda Civic made its U.S. debut in 1972. Efficient and fun to drive, it stood out against the competition and was available as both a three-door hatchback and a sedan. The wheels were just 12 inches in diameter while radial tires, A/C, a two-speed automatic transmission, and a rear hatch wiper were the only options offered. In 1974, a larger engine was added and the bumpers were also enlarged to meet new federal mandates. In 1975, Honda unveiled the CVCC engine, which neatly found a better solution for meeting new emissions regulations than the catalytic converters used by most U.S. companies and established the Japanese brand as a credible alternative to then-dominant U.S. automakers. (That year also saw the release of a five-speed manual transmission and a wagon body style.) In 1977, the Honda Civic was ranked No.1 on the EPA’s list of most fuel-efficient cars. Sales soon surpassed 100,000 units and in 1980, the second-generation Honda Civic arrived in America. The third-generation model followed in 1984; notably, the car shared a wheelbase with the Accord and Prelude. In 1986, the first U.S.-built Honda Civics were assembled at the Japanese automaker’s new plant in Ohio. Two years later, the fourth-generation Civic debuted with a new engine. In 1990, design updates to the bumpers and taillights were unveiled. The fifth-generation Civic offered more trim options than ever before and in 1994, the Civic received passenger-side front airbags across the lineup for the first time. The sporty Honda Civic Si arrived in the U.S. in 1999 and included a performance engine that could rev as high as 8500 rpm. In 2001, Honda released a redesigned Civic, which was followed by the unveiling of the U.S. market’s first hybrid Honda Civic in 2003. Several more redesigns were released during the aughts and early 2010s, ranging from the funky and fun to more conventional-looking options. An all-new Civic was released in 2016; it was praised for its responsiveness and was available as a four-door sedan, two-door coupe, or four-door hatchback. Notably, 2017’s Honda Civic Type R set a lap time record at Germany’s Nürburgring Nordschleife as the fastest front-wheel-drive car. The brand has come out with several updates since then and the 2025 Honda Civic boasts several style upgrades; the brand also released a Civic Hybrid for the 2025 model year.