Honda has confirmed that its Civic Hybrid and Natural Gas variants will not return for the 2016 model year.
The ‘green’ models will be retired as the company introduces the 10th-generation Civic, scheduled to arrive later this year.
“With two new engines on the new Civic, including our first turbo engine, we are targeting class-leading fuel economy for Civic, with EPA highway fuel economy a few ticks above 40 miles per gallon,” the company said in a statement.
The comments suggest the non-hybrid Civic could offer fuel-efficiency numbers close to the current Civic Hybrid’s city/highway rating of 44/47 mpg. The most fuel efficient non-hybrid in the lineup has a 31/41 mpg rating.
In a separate statement, the company suggests the Accord Plug-In Hybrid will be the top fuel-sipping model in the lineup, while the Civic will narrow its focus on performance and handling.
“These moves will allow greater focus on Civic’s sporty new driving character,” Honda executive VP John Mendel told Autoblog.
The next-generation Civic will be offered with a range of powertrains, including a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine. A high-performance Type-R range topper will arrive in 2017, more than a year behind the entry-level models.
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