The Honda Civic has been at the top of its class, the compact car category, for 23 years now. One by one, its rivals have tried everything to dislodge it from its top position, but in vain. One of the brands that has made a strong effort in recent years is Toyota, especially with the addition of a hatchback variant to the menu in 2019.

Just as Honda did in 2016...

Now, with the Civic's renewal for 2022, we have two very recent products on the market, two products that are a natural comparison. And, unsurprisingly, Honda's model is still dominant. Here are some of the key ingredients of its recipe.

Interior design

Two things stand out about the interior design. First, the cockpit is designed with the driver in mind. In the Civic Hatchback 2022's seat, you feel comfortable and discover a perfect cockpit. The controls fall into your hand. All the information available is easily consulted. It's a good thing about Toyota, but never to the point where the comparison holds water.

Then there's the space behind it. With the Civic, it's generous to a fault. For example, with all the seats in place, the trunk offers a volume of around 700 liters, which is 200 more than in the Corolla. And when the second row seat is folded down, the difference is even more pronounced.

Really, where it counts with a hatchback, Honda has not missed a beat.

Powertrain and driving

Now, the other aspect where Honda's dominance is marked is with the driving experience. First of all, let's make one thing clear: the Honda Civic Hatchback is more enjoyable to drive than the Toyota Corolla Hatchback. Steering, braking, handling, stability, suspension work, everything has been taken to a higher level with the Civic.

In fact, if you get behind the wheel of the Corolla first, you're impressed. However, if you drive the Civic up front, you realize how much work Toyota still has to do.

And as a bonus, you get a more powerful engine with the Civic, a 1.5-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder that claims 180 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque. Compared to the Corolla's 169 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque from the 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, the numbers speak for themselves.

A test drive of the Civic, followed by a test drive of the Corolla, or vice versa, will convince you.