Honda will open orders for the Civic Type R on December 1, with the first customer deliveries scheduled to begin in February 2023.
It’s priced from $72,600 drive-away, or $25,400 more than the base VTi-LX. For reference, the outgoing model closed out its run with a price tag of $54,990 before on-road costs.
It will be the final variant to join the local 11th-generation Civic range, slotting in at the top above the imminent e:HEV LX hybrid.
The Type R is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with 235kW of power and 420Nm of torque, up 7kW and 20Nm on the outgoing model.
A six-speed manual remains the only transmission option.
Over the previous model, it includes numerous new performance, safety and convenience features. These include:
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Traffic sign recognition
- Intelligent speed limiter
- Driver attention monitoring
- Dual front knee airbags
- Active exhaust
- 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster
- Wireless phone charger
- Satellite navigation
- Ambient lighting
- Auto-retractable exterior mirrors
- Smart Clear Wiper windscreen wiper/washer system
- Acoustic windscreen
There’s also a new individual drive mode and wider 265/30 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres, while the new-generation touchscreen is a larger 9.0-inch unit with wireless Apple CarPlay and the seats now feature full suede upholstery.
Exterior finishes comprise Championship White, Rally Red, Crystal Black and Sonic Grey.
The Type R is built at Honda’s Yorii plant in Japan, while its K20C1 engine comes from the Anna Engine Plant in Ohio.
Its increased outputs come courtesy of a redesigned turbocharger, increased air intake flow rate, and a more efficient active exhaust.
With a broader grille opening, larger radiator, and new large-diameter fan, Honda says the engine cools more efficiently than before, “ensuring sustained, optimal performance during extreme driving”.
The six-speed manual transmission features a lighter flywheel than before, and the rev-match system works faster. Honda says the “high-rigidity lever and optimised shift gate pattern” offer a “reassured and hyper-precise gear change”.
Honda says it developed the Civic Type R to be the fastest front-engine, front-wheel drive vehicle, while offering both an “addictive” driving feel and secure high-speed stability.
The new generation has a more rigid body structure, a longer wheelbase, and wider tracks front and rear.
Honda has retuned the dual-axis strut front suspension and multi-link rear suspension to improve straight-line stability and steering feel. The front brakes feature dual-piece rotors, and cooling has been improved relative to the previous model.
The Type R rides on 19-inch matte black wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres.
Inside, the Type R features a digital instrument cluster with +R mode-exclusive displays which put information like the engine rpm, rev indicator and gear position in clear view of the driver.
Honda’s LogR data logger system provides real-time information on the vehicle’s movements through both a smartphone app and a new in-car app.
The driver sits lower than before in new, lighter sports seats with heavy bolstering and suede-effect upholstery.
While the Ford Focus ST has been discontinued locally and the Renault Megane R.S. is living on borrowed time, there’s still plenty of competition for the new Type R.
This includes the Hyundai i30 N, priced from $46,200 before on-road costs and the Volkswagen Golf GTI ($54,990 before on-roads) and R hatchbacks ($65,990 before on-roads).
The Type R’s more premium pricing pushes it closer to the likes of the Audi S3 ($70,800 before on-roads) and BMW M135i xDrive Pure ($67,900 before on-roads).
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MORE: Everything Honda Civic
