2023 Honda Civic Sedan Interior and Cargo

The honeycomb mesh interior trim isn't just there to look attractive. As Honda says, it removes visual clutter as well. Looking at the interior images, you might notice that there are no visible air vents. That's because they're neatly hidden behind the said mesh, operated via knobs inspired by previous models. Other highlights include the metallic finish on the climate-control knobs and a platinum-look coating on the interior door handles. The center console is finished in a material resembling piano black, but it's smudge-resistant. What a pleasure. Neat freaks can finally just get out of the car without having to spend 15 minutes removing visible smudge marks from the interior trim. Take note, Volvo.

Interior color options include black, gray, and Sport black, with the availability changing based on the chosen exterior color. LX and EX models come with fabric upholstery, while the Sport adds synthetic leather to the side bolsters on the seats. Heated seats are available as you move through the trim levels, and the top-spec Touring comes with genuine leather seats.

All models except the LX have a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.

Oddly, trunk size in the new Civic sedan is slightly smaller compared to the old model. This is primarily due to the increased rear passenger legroom, so it's a worthwhile sacrifice. Besides, what can you do with 15.1 cubic feet that you can't do with 14.8 cubes? The Touring model of the Civic has slightly less cargo space at 14.4 cubes, as Honda needed the extra space for the sound system. And, if you need more trunk space in your Honda Civic, the rear seats can be folded to create a larger loading space, at the expense of passenger capacity. The seatback folds as one piece in the lower two trims, whereas the EX and Touring have a 60/40 split.

Interior storage is impressive. You get the obligatory storage space underneath the center armrest, dual cupholders, and large door pockets. The ample storage space underneath the center console also houses the USB ports, making it the perfect spot to store and charge a phone.

From the base level, the Civic is handsomely equipped with intelligent features. The LX may only have 16-inch steel wheels, but the rest of the gear on the standard features list will embarrass a few German sedans that cost twice as much. Entry-level specification includes push-button start, a seven-inch digital gauge cluster, single-zone climate control, and Honda Sensing. The latter is Honda's suite of driver-assistance features, which we'll take a closer look at in our safety breakdown below.

Sport derivatives add a few touches to the exterior in the form of smart entry and remote start, while inside, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, paddle shifters, model-specific upholstery, sports pedals, and a sport driving mode await. The EX specification adds several luxury features, including dual-zone climate control and heated front seats, while the Touring model comes fully equipped with everything you could reasonably expect. Highlights include rain-sensing wipers, front and rear parking sensors, power-adjustable front seats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and wireless phone charging.

Honda brought the volume knob back in the last generation, after using a slider for a few years, and it's a major improvement. The Touring debuts a new nine-inch color touchscreen. Besides the knob, there are redundant buttons for your main functions, which are always better than hunting through menus. It features a 0.8-inch finger rest to make it easier to hit your target while driving. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration are standard, but it's only wireless on the top trim. Lesser trims get a smaller seven-inch screen, but these miss out on SiriusXM, HD Radio, and satellite navigation.

As for operation, you have your normal tiles for media, navigation, and phone, with slide and pinch movements like a modern phone. Everything works faster than the previous model. CarPlay works well, and it's easy to switch back to the native navigation system if you don't want to burn data on your phone.

A premium Bose sound system is standard on the Touring with 11 speakers and a subwoofer, replacing the four-speaker setup on the base model and the eight-speaker system on the middle trims.