Honda Civic Type R

MODEL TESTED: Honda Civic Type R PRICE: £46,995 POWERTRAIN: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, 324bhp

THE Honda Civic Type R benefits from years of hot-hatch development – but all of that sophistication comes at a price. The new model starts at £46,995 – a massive step over the £31,500 the previous model cost barely five years ago. The signature Championship White paint finish adds £650, bringing the total for our car to £47,645.

Tech highlights

UNDER the bonnet, the latest Type R gets an evolution of the 2.0-litre turbo used in the previous generation. Gas flow plays a big part in the improvements; the turbocharger gets optimised turbine blades, while the exhaust system and new intake increase flow rate by

13 per cent and 10 per cent respectively.

Factor in an upgraded radiator to improve cooling and a revised ECU to bring the upgrades all together, and the result is an engine which now pumps out 324bhp – an increase of 14bhp – and 420Nm, itself a 20Nm rise.

A lightened flywheel improves throttle response, while the springing for the six-speed manual gearbox has been adjusted to improve the shift feel, according to Honda – a tough ask since the previous shift quality was already brilliant.

All that drivetrain work necessitates some chassis tweaks, and the new Civic is a great place to start; it’s 15 per cent stiffer than the last model. On top of that, revised dual-axis front suspension with stiffer control arms, a wider rear track and tweaked geometry all round are just some of the many improvements. The aluminium bonnet is 43 per cent lighter than the FK8’s steel item.

SAFETY:

The Honda Civic scored a five-star Euro NCAP rating when the latest version was tested in 2022. It scored between 80 and 90 per cent across all four categories. On road

HONDA has form when it comes to brilliant front-wheel-drive cars, but this latest Type R is one of its most exciting – and certainly the most sophisticated – the firm has ever produced.

AROUND TOWN:

One trait shared by many of the best driver’s cars is that they feel special to drive, even at low speeds. Thanks to the perfect weighting of the pedals and steering, plus the wonderfully slick and precise manual gearbox, the Type R absolutely falls into that category.

A & B-ROADS:

Things get better the harder you work it. The chassis feels less like a fast five-door, and more like a bespoke sports car that just happens to have a hatchback body.

Even across challenging, twisty roads, the body control is just staggering. Load the car up through a turn, and bumps are shrugged off as though they barely exist, with each wheel working hard to absorb what the road throws at it.

The balance can be played with, though. Plant your right foot clumsily on a corner exit and the front wheels will scrabble for traction through second gear. Depending on how you choose to alter the throttle and steering both on entry to and through a corner, you can adjust the balance very precisely. The way the Civic behaves on the limit is entirely down to your own skill and feel.

The brilliant steering plays it part; not only is the weighting great, but there’s also plenty of feel, so you can suss out the precise moment that the front tyres breach the limits of grip.

MOTORWAY:

High-speed stability is excellent, which makes the Type R reassuring on a motorway – even if the rear tyres in particular generate quite a lot of road noise.

We found that leaving the adaptive dampers in their most forgiving setting was ideal, whatever the road. Like this, the Type R is firm without being harsh, but in full +R mode the ride can be a little bouncy. Yousuf Ashraf Video content producer WHEELS Civic’s 19-inch wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres. Once up to temperature, they deliver brilliant grip, but also plenty of feel. Disc brakes are phenomenal in both their power and response TESTERS’ NOTES

“Things get better the harder you work the Type R”