This compact is all that
The 2023 Honda Civic Type R might just be the best enthusiast hot hatch in the segment. Just when we feared that modern hot hatches were falling lukewarm, Japan is pumping new life into the segment with some of the most dramatic offerings we’ve seen. The bonkers Toyota Corolla GR is just around the corner, and with the new Type R, Honda seems keen to make up for its lacklustre new Civic Si.
Powerful, predictable and responsive, the new sixth-generation Type R offers one of the most stimulating, sensory drives available to the common enthusiast.
Better still, the strength of its 11th-generation platform and restraint in its design makes it attractive as a properly usable car.
The 2023 Honda Civic Type R iterates the previous car’s 2.0L turbocharged four, revving all the way to 7,000 and now tuned to deliver 315 horsepower with 310 lb-ft of torque.
In an era when actual engine sound has become rare, it’s a power plant that further delivers actually buzzy auditory satisfaction from up front as well as a steady drone out behind, where that valved centre pipe opens to accent the good part of the rev range. It’s a riot of an engine that brrts every bit as well as you’d hope, albeit without the cusp-of-detonation sounds of some older high-revving VTECS.
The Ernie to this brrt is the same excellent six-speed manual from before, now interfacing through a lighter flywheel for quicker throttle response.
Application is moderated by software throttle maps and rev-matching, which Honda has mercifully ratcheted tighter than what was delivered in the rev-hangy Si.
WEALTH OF TORQUE
Still, it’s ultimately a software nanny — and we all know what that will mean for this crowd. Unfortunately, the dull, uncommunicative clutch will take more than just a software flash to invigorate.
Power flows to the front wheels through a limited-slip differential — a must when applying such a wealth of torque as the car pitches back.
Torque steer is minimal, but understeer is plentiful when too early on the throttle through an exit.
The 2023 Type R employs a chonker of a front sway bar, and just enough rear to maintain a predictable pitch when cornering — just without stepping out with a sloppy release of the throttle. The Type R is likewise plentifully braked, with ample four-piston Brembos likewise gripping mighty and well-ducted front rotors, though the esthetically concerned will be underwhelmed by the teeny rear brakes’ failure to fill the cavernous wheels.
Even with its poise and traction management, all this is a lot to ask of its contact patches. To maximize its odds, mechanical traction comes from aggressive but balanced Pilot Sport 4S tires. Square-set 265-section rubbers hug all four wheels, ensuring that eager-footed drivers can rotate their tires as frequent and delightful wheelspin takes its toll on the fronts.
Wheels themselves are 19 inches in diameter for a smoother ride than the fifth/10th-gen R Touring’s harsh 20s, with motorcycle-style 90-degree aluminum valve stems. We know you’re just going to mount TES anyway though.
Diving into the exciting bits, the Civic Type R is direct and capable without feeling clinical.
Dial up the modes, and roadholding feels compressively, characterfully bumpity without a sense of skipping or breaking traction on rebound. Adaptive damping is employed to equal effect in everyday contexts, where the Type R proves surprisingly compliant.
IMPRESSIVE CAPACITY
More than just a performer, then, the Civic Type R excels as a proper car. Front seating is deep and laterally supportive, but with surprisingly soft bolsters that accommodate rather than punish.
Rear legroom is stunning for a compact, comfortably accommodating friends of up to six-foot-four behind my five-foot-eight front-seat setting.
The liftback’s cargo capacity is likewise impressive at 728L, with deep and easy access though the large, manually lifted hatch.
Note, however, that Honda has aimed to protect its rear shoulder-room figures by limiting rear seating to just two positions and a cup holder, so your fourth friend will be walking home.
Though its drivetrain is largely a carry-over from the recent Gundam, the new Type R’s architecture is not. Built on the new 11th-generation Civic, the 2023 Civic Type R grows slightly in dimensions and significantly in matured refinement.
I’ve previously written of the 11th-generation Civic Sedan’s aptitude as an attractively equipped commuter, offering a full suite of expected modern features and comforts including lane-keeping and adaptive cruise control.
Wireless phone charging and mobile connectivity are a given, though I noted repeated connection, latency and display issues with Apple Carplay. Rear visibility is unobstructed by the high-placed wing.
If there is a disappointment in the 2023 Civic Type R, it’s the steering.
Just as I lamented in my review of the current Civic Si, Honda has attempted to mask its EPS’S lack of steering feel by adding entirely too much artificial weight — a condition that only grows more annoyingly resistive as the vehicle gains speed.
Driven back to back with a roundly feelsome DC2 Integra Type R, this decision is plainly disappointing.
The 2023 Honda Civic Type R arrives in Canada at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $51,830, including destination, and will surely run plenty more on the immediate secondary market.
It may not take the value crown from the Elantra N, but shoppers who scrounge the extra $12K will be handsomely rewarded by one of the most enjoyable, capable and indeed usable compacts of recent years.
Powerful, predictable and responsive, the new sixthgeneration Type R offers one of the most stimulating, sensory drives available to the common enthusiast.