A month and a half after the all-new 2022 Honda Civic sedan (FE) made its world debut, its aptly-named Civic Hatchback stablemate broke cover last month. Let's sift through some of its frequently asked questions!

What's new with the Civic Hatchback?

Much like the sedan, under the new look comes a set of performance, safety, and technological updates.

For the first time in the Civic Hatchback's history, this model will be produced in Honda Manufacturing of Indiana's plant in Greensburg. This follows after the closure of the carmaker's Swindon, United Kingdom plant that assembled the previous-gen Civic Hatchback (FK).

The 11th-gen Civic Hatchback will go on sale in the United States and Japan later this year

Also read: Honda shifts away from UK plant, to produce more models in Japan

How does the Civic Hatchback measure?

The Civic Hatchback is slightly narrower and sits a little lower, at the same time being a tad longer than its predecessor. Here's how they stack up:

Beyond equal width, height, and wheelbase, the Civic Hatchback is 127 mm shorter than the sedan (4,676 mm).

Other dimensional changes include A-pillars that's been moved rearward by 50 mm (increasing front visibility to 87-degrees, up from 84-degrees previously), and a 12.7 mm wider rear track.

Round the back, there's a repositioned hinge mechanism for the composite hatch that allows for a 50 mm height reduction in the hinge area.

Any improvements in the interior?

Interior aesthetics are a carbon copy of the sedan - one-piece honeycomb air-cond grille, 'Simplicity and Something' philosophy and all.

Also read: Interior of all-new 2022 Honda Civic FE teased - futuristic yet simple

The big improvement the 11th-gen Civic Hatchback brings is the additional 36 mm increase in rear legroom over its predecessor. The 949 mm headroom at the back is equal to the Civic FK.

Meanwhile, the boot opening has been widened by a further 41 mm, which should prove useful in accessing the 639-litre boot.

Also read: Choices in Malaysia's car market: should you spring for a sedan or get a hatchback?

What features does it have?

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility on its 7- or 9-inch touchscreen infotainment unit comes standard across the range.

Variant-dependent features include a 7-inch semi-digital instrument cluster (the topmost variants in the USA and Japan get a 10.25-inch, fully-digital one), cloth or perforated leather seats, and also Qi-compatible wireless charging.

Sweetening the deal for the range-toppers is the inclusion of a Bose 12-speaker surround sound system.

Also read: A closer look at the Bose 12-speaker setup in the all-new 2022 Honda Civic

Is Honda Sensing standard?

Yes, all variants of the Civic Hatchback gets the Honda Sensing ADAS suite as standard, encompassing these features:

• Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-speed Follow (ACC w/ LSF)
• Lane Keep Assist (LKA)
• Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (BSM, RCTA)
• Traffic Jam Assist (TJA)
• Low-speed Braking Control (LSBC)

Also read: From foggy roads to congested cities, Honda Civic’s Sensing is one of the best

What about performance?

First up, yes, the six-speed manual lives on in the Civic Hatchback! It's offered alongside a CVT.

Drivetrain remains traditionally front-wheel drive, with three engine options: two for the United States, and one for Japan:

Handling-wise, Honda says the hatch's new body structure gives a 19 percent improvement in torsional rigidity over the preceding model. The stiffer structure supports improvements in ride, handling and refinement.

Where's the Civic Type R?

There's a bit of waiting involved for this as Honda says the Civic Type R will only be introduced in 2022.

It'll probably be a hybrid at that, with various reports saying that Honda might pair electric motors to an improved K20C 2.0-litre mill, the same one that's currently seeing service in the FK8 Type R.

Also read: For the first time, the Honda Civic Type R will feature a hybrid powertrain

Speaking of hybrids, there'll be full-hybrid e:HEV variants following next year as well. Note that all European-spec Civics will be hybrid-only.

How much is the all-new Civic Hatchback?

Honda has yet to detail prices, but it's fair to expect a price bump - after all, the sedan got more expensive than its predecessor too.

Also read: Singaporean buyers to receive all-new 2022 Honda Civic in October; pricier than Civic FC!

Will Malaysia be getting it?

Sorry to say but no. It's the nature of Malaysia's automotive market (tax structure and consumer demand among them) that makes it unfavourable for Honda Malaysia to invest into the Civic Hatchback for us.

Our regional neighbours - namely Thailand and Indonesia - will continue receiving the model.

Malaysians instead will be getting the Civic sedan. It could be previewed this year, but that is contingent on how things progress, including an improved Covid-19 situation.

After all, the all-new 2021 Honda HR-V's Malaysian introduction has been delayed too.

Also read: Originally planned to launch in Malaysia on Q1 2022, all-new Honda HR-V gets pushed back

But we'll be gettting another hatchback!

We'll instead be seeing the Honda City Hatchback reach Malaysia, but a timeline for this hasn't been outlined yet.

All you need to know is here, for now

Prior to further development concerning the Civic Hatchback, this is your quick and handy guide to the model. Stay tuned for more as we have it!

Also read: 

Start saving up: Your guide to the all-new 2022 Honda Civic before its Malaysian launch!

Worth trading in your X50? Guide to the all-new 2021 Honda HR-V, mulled for Malaysia

Malaysia-bound 2021 Honda City Hatchback - All your questions answered