Published October 9, 2026

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Updated October 9, 2026

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First, the brand gave the Passport TrailSport a few key updates that improved the SUV’s off-road prospects. Then, the Type R hatch benefited from some choice changes to make it even more of a driver’s tool.

Now Honda is keeping the trend rolling across the rest of the Civic range. As part of the 2027 updates, the best-selling compact gets a little extra refinement and an added play for enthusiasts.

In practice, this means Honda has introduced a new Sport-L trim that rides above the Sport and sits below the Sport Hybrid and Sport Touring Hybrid on the sedan and hatchback body styles.

In addition to giving the Civic Sport the leather upholstery and front power-adjustable seats of the Sport Touring Hybrid, it also benefits from front seat heating and dual-zone climate control once restricted to Hybrid grades.

And that’s not all. In keeping with the treatment, Honda has also given the Sport-L a passenger seatback pocket, illuminated vanity mirrors and silver-colored interior trim.

While these might all seem like minor niceties, they provide a solid bridge in value between the Civic Sport and its higher-spec siblings. The step up to a Hybrid might not be that much, but a Touring Hybrid comes at a meaningful premium (comparatively).

Honda has kept engine and transmission options the same, though the Sport-L isn’t the only update the automaker has in store for the Civic.

For 2027, the automaker has also ported S+ Shift tech over from the Prelude for the Sport Touring Hybrid.

The mode uses eight virtual gears in an attempt to mimic physical stepped changes within a direct-drive hybrid system.

Along with offering gear holding during cornering and engine noise augmentation, it provides rev-matched downshifts and paddle-input operation.

The manual Civic Si notably goes on hiatus for 2027, but the tech does at least give drivers with an enthusiast bent an option that’s cheaper than the Prelude and CTR.

The 2027 Civic lineup starts at $24,995 for the LX sedan before a $1,295 destination fee. According to Honda’s announcement, next year’s models are starting to roll out to dealers now, and the Sport-L will be arriving in the coming months.

About the Author: Gray is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, motorcycles and anything else with wheels. When he’s not chasing the latest industry news, he’s probably wrenching on one of many projects. For better or worse, he believes classics make perfectly practical daily drivers.