cars news 10: 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback Starts at $20,535

Priced from $20,535, the 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback arrives at U.S. dealerships starting Monday.

Standard features on the base LX model include basic functions like hill start assist, cruise control, and 60/40 split folding rear seats. Opting for a CVT instead of a six-speed manual brings the price up to $21,335. Either way, the LX hatch will cost you $1,060 more than a comparable 2016 Honda Civic LX sedan. Of course, the sedan starts off with a 2.0-liter engine which is not available on the Civic hatch, so the two can’t be directly compared.

Offering a slight boost in horsepower, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather shift knob, and racing pedals, the Sport model goes for $22,135 with the manual and $22,935 with the CVT. The next step up is the EX, which along with the higher trim levels in the Civic hatch lineup, is only available with a CVT.

Priced at $23,635, or $600 more than an EX sedan with the same engine, the Civic hatch EX model receives many upgrades including a Honda Display Audio system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, front passenger seatback pocket, and push-button start. The EX-L Navi ups the ante with features like leather-trimmed seats, automatic-dimming rear mirror, and eight-way power driver seat. These goodies will cost you $26,135.

Honda hasn’t released pricing for its top-of-the-line Civic hatch, the Sport Touring, as it will arrive later in the year. But it promises aluminum pedals, red-accented instrument illumination, and a premium 12-speaker audio system as well as heated outboard rear seats and automatic windshield wipers. The Honda Sensing safety package, also arriving later this year, comes standard on this trim.

All Honda Civic hatches come with a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine. In the LX, EX, EX-L, and EX-L Navi trims, the engine produces 174 hp and 162-167 lb-ft of torque depending on whether the engine is paired with a six-speed manual or CVT. On Sport and Sport Touring trims, the 1.5-liter makes 180 hp and 162-177 lb-ft, also depending on transmission choice.

Honda anticipates the Civic hatch will return up to 31/40 mpg city/highway with the CVT. Models with the stick shift should still do well, as Honda anticipates a rating of 30/39 mpg. In exchange for more power, Sport and Sport Touring models are only expected to net 30/36 mpg with the CVT.

Source: Honda