The 2025 Honda Civic Spells Bad News for Manual Transmission Fans

The switch to a hybrid powertrain means the stick shift is no longer an option on the Civic Hatchback.

Published May 21, 2024

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We’ve been sounding the death knell on the manual transmission for a while, and for good reason. Just 1 – 2 percent of new vehicles are equipped with a manual transmission today, and fewer cars are offered with old-school standard transmissions with each passing year.

Today, we sadly can add another name to the list of cars that have gone fully automatic, as the basic Honda Civic stick shift is no more.

Out with the old, in with the new

Honda‘s mid-life refresh of the 11th-generation Civic has introduced a new hybrid powertrain to the sedan and hatchback lineups and has jettisoned the six-speed option that formerly existed on the 2024 Civic Hatchback’s Sport and Touring trims.

blue honda civic hatchback seen from the rear — The 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid comes as both a sedan and a hatchback (above).

The 2025 Civic does away with the previous model’s turbocharged 1.8L four-cylinder engine, replacing it with one of two powertrains spread across four trims. The entry-level LX (sedan only) and Sport trims are equipped with a 2.0L engine, while the new Sport Hybrid and top-spec Sport Touring Hybrid each receive a brand-new hybrid powertrain.

There is no manual option on any of the trims, marking the end of an era for the basic Honda Civic. But despite the loss of the stick shift, it’s not all bad news as far as the 2025 Civics go.

The 2025 Civic is more powerful than ever

OK, so the manual transmission is no longer on the table, but you know what is on the table? Buckets of raw power. The Civic Sport Hybrid and Sport Touring Hybrid each make use of a dual-motor hybrid powertrain that cranks out 200hp and 232 lb.-ft. of torque. For those keeping score, that’s as much horsepower and more torque than the current Civic Si, making the new hybrid Civics the most powerful non-Type R Civics ever.

honda hybrid engine — The hybrid powerplant powering the new Civic makes more power than any Civic except for Type-R models.

The hybrid Civics should shift faster than the outgoing generation, too, thanks to a Linear Shift Control system that mimics a traditional geartrain and leads to quicker times off the line than last year’s turbocharged Civics. The hybrids are also equipped with a new regenerative braking system that can be controlled via paddle shifters on the steering wheel, allowing drivers to cycle through four levels of decelration.

There are cosmetic changes, too that make the new Civics a bit sportier by way of more aggressive styling on the front fascia and grille and redesigned taillights. Pricing and fuel economy are TBD, though Honda heavily hints that the hybrid system, unsurprisingly, is more efficient than the outgoing turbos. The 2025 Civic sedans will arrive in dealerships next month, with the hatchbacks slated to begin deliveries later in the summer.

You can still get a Civic with a stick

While the manual has waved goodbye to the base-level Honda Civics, the option remains available (for now, anyway) on the performance-oriented Civic Si and ultra-sporty Civic Type R. As both of those vehicles are aimed largely at enthusiasts who want to row their own gears, I don’t see their manual transmissions going away too soon. But they’re unlikely to resist the changing tides forever.

2025 Honda Civic Sport Touring Hybrid

The most powerful non-Type R Civic ever, the top-spec of Honda’s trusty compact generates its oomph from a dual-motor hybrid powertrain that’s brand-new for 2025.