Honda Civic Type R

Overview

The tenth generation of the standard Honda Civic is what influences the hot Civic Type R. The latest iteration of the car was launched in the Malaysian market towards the end of 2017 (November) and has gained wide appreciation since then.

As per Honda, the new Honda Civic Type R is a huge step over the previous models as the company has managed to resolve the shortcomings that the car previously had. The lags from the turbo engine have been reduced and the exhaust pressure has been increased even at lower RPMs. This, of course, helps in churning out greater power from the VTEC engine. So, now you know that every bit of the 310 hp power (coming at 6,500 rpm) and 400 Nm torque (coming between 2,500 and 4,500 rpm) is well-prepared to give you the thrill of track driving with negligible lags on the throttle.

But when it comes to the designing, I am sure not many could pin down the Civic Type R. It does wear the silhouette of the standard Civic form but covers it with a layer of brash and track-biased design.

Interior & Features

Much to what the customers would expect, Honda has done pretty well to get the comfort level to the highest feasible point for a car of this calibre. Once you get to the interior, you will love everything that is bundled in the package. The first sporty impression comes from the black colour tone with a lot of red inserts on the dashboard and the seats. The seats look well padded and comfortable and manage to be extremely likeable for all the occupants.

The dashboard is extremely informative and has a lot of control buttons on all sides. The steering wheel also has a lot of such buttons, including the audio controls, and so does the centre console. With so much on offer, one can confidently say that a tech-savvy and a crazy racing enthusiast will find it to be something amazing.

Up at the dashboard, there is an advanced 7-inch touchscreen display which is routed to the audio system as well. This system can also be used as a Hands-free Telephone speaker. There are eight speakers in all.

Exterior

The new Honda Civic Type R is meaner than what it was earlier. The physical cues are a lot sportier, more so with the abundant amount of sporty bits including large air intakes up front and the overly spiced up rear. The huge tailgate wing just goes on to show the track-focused side along with a three-tip exhaust and the chunky boot zone.

The car rides on chunky 20-inch wheels with 245-section tyres. As for the suspension, the shocker absorbers are pretty decent and apt for a track-focused car. The front wheels have Dual-Axis Strut while the rear has Multi-Link units. The suspension set up is neither hard nor soft.

The addition of red inserts all across, including the brand’s logo up front and at the rear and the brake callipers, bring the attractiveness of contrasting colour tones. There is also a shark fin antenna towards the rear, much like many other cars from the brand itself.

Ride & Handling

The Honda Civic Type R has been made especially for the people who love the thrill of riding at high speeds. The car has three different drive modes at the disposal of the drivers, which is responsible for the change of the complete dynamics driving. There are three preset driving modes in the form of Comfort, Sport, and +R, where the Comfort is what you select while riding on the city roads.

Get to the top gear and push the accelerator throttle to experience the thrill and agility of the engine. The 310 PS power and 400 Nm torque is enough to power the car to a top speed of 272 kmph while getting the 0-100 kmph acceleration possible in just 5.7 seconds.

Engine & Fuel Consumption

Speaking about the power production, the Honda Civic Type R really owns it. The four-cylinder, 2.0-litre turbo engine is tuned to be extremely fine and is mated to a PGM fuel injection (direct type) system. The total power production of the car comes in the form of 310 PS at 6,500 RPM along with a peak torque of 400 Nm torque, which comes between 2,500 and 4,500 RPM.

All of the power is sent down to the front wheels via a 6-speed manual gearbox. Yes, you read it right. Much to the delight of all the purists, the manual gearbox is here to thrill. However, there are still quite a few prospective buyers who may not like the idea of missing out on an automatic gearbox.

Braking & Safety

I am sure you did not miss out the red calipers for the disc brakes. But that is just the attractive bit while the actual braking mechanism starts from the ventilated front disc from Brembo and the solid rear units. ABS and EBD (electronic brakeforce distribution) are added to enhance the braking abilities further along with Brake Assist.

Inside the cabin, there are six SRS airbags, which are present at the front, sides, and curtains. Other safety features include VSA (vehicle stability assist) and hill start assist. Apart from these, there are vehicle immobiliser with a security alarm and an auto brake hold.