Honda Civic GX Natural Gas - 2012 Green car of the Year

Civic trying to get to the Gas?

Surprise...... The Green Car Journal announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show it's 2012 Green Car of the Year is a 2012 Honda Civic, but it's not the hybrid!

When the curtain dropped on the stage, the jaws dropped in the crowd! The five finalists had been the Ford Focus electric, Mitsubishi i, Toyota Prius V, Volkswagen Passat TDi and of course the Civic Natural Gas

Green Car Journal cites natural gas abundance in the United States, low tailpipe emissions, and cheaper fuel cost (by about 30 percent!) than gasoline among its reasons for selecting the Civic Natural Gas as the winner and makes note that the Civic is "the only assembly-line produced natural gas passenger model manufactured for sale in the United States."

The Civic GX produces 110 horsepower from its 1.8-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder engine and has a range of about 240 miles on a full tank.


The GX was originally introduced with a 1.6 liter In-Line 4 engine. The 2001 model make-over carried a 1.7 liter engine. Beginning in 2006, the 1.8 liter inline four-cylinder engine was introduced to the Civic lineup.
Compression in the Civic GX is 12.5:1, much higher than that of most US pump gasoline-powered automobiles. The significantly higher compression ratio is usable without detonation due to the 130-octane natural gas that powers the car.

Acceleration is significantly slower than that of the comparable 4-door LX model due to both lower power (113 hp vs. 140 hp) and heavier weight (2910 lbs vs 2652 lbs). 0-60 MPH is achieved in a rather leisurely 12.6 seconds. And fuel consumption is estimated to be around 32 MPG.

The CNG cylinder (fuel tank) is carried in the trunk of the car and holds 8.0 GGE (Gasoline Gallon Equivalent) at 3600 psi.

Range on a full 3600 psi fill is variable, depending on driving conditions and driving technique, as with any vehicle.  The GX qualifies for HOV Lane access in California, Arizona, Utah, and other states.