The primary-generation Honda Perception was a wacky three-door contraption with wheel spats. The second-generation Honda Perception was a five-door hatchback that, regardless of being the least costly hybrid in the marketplace when it launched, by no means caught as much as Toyota’s stalwart Prius.
Third time’s a attraction, proper?
Now a religious successor to the discontinued Civic Hybrid, and slotting into the lineup between the Civic and the Accord, the Perception takes one of the best elements of each vehicles and injects them with a dose of inexperienced cred that is exhausting to beat. And, not like the newest Prius, you may have a look at it with out your face going all Raiders of the Misplaced Ark. Success!
Best on the eyes
The Perception eschews any of the Civic’s visible quirks in favor of a design that Honda believes will assist broaden its enchantment. Given how a lot of a sizzling mess the Prius is now, and the way polarizing the Civic’s design could be, I believe Honda made the suitable transfer. The entrance finish borrows sufficient from the Clarity’s design with out getting too bizarre, and its sedan silhouette has a little bit of a neat fastback form to it.
Inside, there’s the correct amount of bizarre. My Touring-trim tester’s Eight-inch infotainment display “floats,” certain, however there’s nonetheless a complete dashboard behind it. Altering gears requires pushing or pulling buttons as an alternative of shifting a lever, but it surely turns into muscle reminiscence shortly. In any other case, the seats are supportive and the tall-enough glass presents loads of ahead and lateral visibility — I used to be wishing for a extra expansive view by the rearview mirror, although.
There isn’t any space-eating battery hump within the trunk, which suggests you get both 14.7 or 15.1 cubic toes of cargo area, relying on the trim — precisely the identical because the Civic Sedan. It isn’t as a lot because the Accord presents, in fact, however it’s voluminous sufficient to deal with a complete household’s price of groceries with room to spare for an enormous bag of pet food.
Quiet, comfy and properly appointed, the Perception’s cabin is straightforward to like, even when there are some bizarre bits.
Nick Miotke/Roadshow
A hybrid’s hybrid
Hiding below the Perception’s sheet metallic is a 1.5-liter Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine placing out 107 horsepower and 99 pound-feet of torque. Toss in two electrical motors, and you have got a hybrid stew placing out a internet 151 horsepower and 197 pound-feet. It’d take some fiddling by modes and ignoring your lizard mind’s ideas on engine noise to make sense of all of it, however when you do, it is fairly rewarding.
There are 4 drive modes on provide: Regular, Sport, Eco and EV. Regardless of the acceleration penalty, I spent almost all my time in Eco mode, which maximizes electricity-only operation. Regular mode sacrifices financial system for extra Civic-like acceleration. Sport, however, makes the engine rev greater for longer with out producing any considerable efficiency features, and it really makes use of the audio system to make the engine louder, so I discovered it was greatest ignored.
A small battery means you may watch the cost gauge drop surprisingly quick, however having a couple of miles of EV-only operation with out paying for a plug-in hybrid setup continues to be good. The EV button permits you to select when to let the battery do its factor alone, however there is not any “maintain” mode to make sure you have cost while you need it. The engine will kick in with barely any feeling translating to the cabin, however since it is not linked to the wheels, the revs will rise and fall independently of auto motion, which takes some getting used to. At greater revs in any mode, the engine is surprisingly noisy — however that is my solely actual grievance about how the Perception drives.
Whether or not on the highway or the freeway, the Perception’s trip is principally the identical because the Civic’s — composed with out being overly stiff. It eats up potholes with aplomb, and if for some purpose you need to have interaction in some spirited driving, it will not collapse right into a discombobulated heap. Regenerative braking has three totally different strengths, which could be adjusted with the paddles behind the steering wheel, and I actually appreciated the seamless transition from regenerative to friction braking.
The EPA charges the Perception Touring at 51 mpg metropolis and 45 mpg freeway, however I used to be capable of meet and beat the bottom Perception’s score of 55 mpg metropolis and 49 mpg freeway with little aware effort. Use the EV button on the proper instances, and you may knock on 60 mpg’s door.
Loads o’ tech
Since I used to be driving the top-trim Perception Touring, my tester was fitted with Honda’s newest tech. However Honda is nice at democratizing its tech lately, particularly security methods. All Insights get adaptive cruise management, automated emergency braking, ahead collision warning, lane-keep help and site visitors signal recognition. The one system that bothered me was lane-keep help, which I discovered method too proactive, however a single button press turns it off.
Increased trims get some additional treats, like LaneWatch. Accessible on EX and Touring trims, LaneWatch provides a digital camera to the passenger-side mirror that fills the infotainment display with what’s in your blind spot as quickly as you activate the flip sign. It really works effectively due to its clear image, and it may be activated individually to help parallel parking, which I actually like.
The Eight-inch infotainment display discovered on the EX and Touring trims presents up the newest model of Honda’s infotainment system. It removes the usability and user-experience niggles that left me feeling chilly concerning the system’s earlier iteration — this new one is quick and extra simple. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come alongside for the trip, however not on the bottom LX trim, which seems like a value-oriented cop-out. Pony up for one more subscription, and there is a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot baked in, too.
If that is not sufficient display for you, there’s one other one within the gauge cluster. I like that it gives all method of auto data, together with hybrid system operation, so I did not should waste infotainment-screen area on that. The facility gauge that replaces a conventional tachometer made it simple for me to see once I is perhaps leaning a bit too exhausting on the gasoline pedal, risking partaking the gasoline engine — the gamification of effectivity is nice for this outdated nerd.
The Perception is likely one of the greatest vehicles you should purchase below $30,000, full cease.
Nick Miotke/Roadshow
How I might spec it
Honda presents only a few packages for its particular person trims lately, as an alternative utilizing the trims themselves to separate up the content material. I might follow my tester’s darkish Cosmic Blue paint, which is obtainable on all Insights. The $24,060 EX presents one of the best worth, bundling the bigger infotainment display and creature comforts like keyless entry and LaneWatch, however I am a sucker for automated local weather management, heated energy entrance seats and hotspots, so I might follow the $28,090 Touring. That is nonetheless hundreds under the typical transaction value for a brand new automotive in 2018.
Right down to brass tacks
The Perception has a good few opponents with varied benefits and drawbacks. The Toyota Prius’ prime trim is costlier than the Perception Touring, and it is ugly as sin, however EPA-estimated gasoline financial system is healthier. The Hyundai Ioniq seems like a automotive, and its prime spec is cheaper whereas additionally providing superior financial system (on paper, no less than). The Kia Niro is costlier and fewer environment friendly, but it surely’s nearer to the crossover physique that everyone appears to need lately.
To be sincere, the most important trigger for concern with the Perception is the market itself. Sedan gross sales have slipped drastically as patrons have shifted to crossovers. Fuel is not as low cost because it as soon as was, but it surely’s cheap sufficient to maintain customers in thirstier vehicles.
The 2019 Honda Perception has a protracted highway forward of it, but when any hybrid sedan can succeed on this market, it is this one. It seems good with out being shouty, it drives comfortably, it is obtained loads of family-friendly tech and it will return rattling close to 60 mpg on day. It is probably the greatest sub-$30,000 vehicles you should purchase, full cease.