New Honda Civic Type R in appearance test: no longer radicalized!

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In times of downsizing and electric driving, real petrolheads adore cars like Honda’s new Civic Type R. With an aggressive look, sharp manual transmission and more power than ever before, the new version aims to build on a long tradition of Japanese racing-inspired vehicles.

The show is guaranteed here: the most powerful four-cylinder engine with front-wheel drive, coupled with a six-speed manual transmission, meets a vehicle with a mega spoiler on the trunk lid and a large air intake on the hood. The revised two-liter VTEC turbo engine delivers 329 hp (242 kW) and sends 420 Newton meters of torque to the 19-inch front wheels. We get into the fiery red test car and quickly realize that the sports seats in the same color are more comfortable than they look and are positioned so low that they are almost crouching on the asphalt.

After the first few kilometers we are stunned: the Type R rides on the “Comfort” quite civilly and without any riots. This changes when we activate the sport mode via the button in the center console: the steering gets stiffer, the shock absorbers stiffen, the exhaust sound gets louder and the accelerator pedal characteristics sharpen. After pressing the +R switch, things get radical: In track mode, the compact athlete puts all of his components on the attack! The Type R accelerates to 100 km/h in just 5.4 seconds, sticks to the asphalt in corners and never slips even on wet roads. If the throttle is too insensitive, Aggro-Honda scrapes its front fins here and there, but other than that it performs well on the road. Driving pleasure is guaranteed with this Civic!

Despite the gray but intuitive infotainment system, the two screens in the cockpit offer lots of useful information. Performance data can be called up in real time in different layouts – perfect for use on the racetrack. However, ads are not strictly necessary for the weekend pass ride. What is required, on the other hand, is a sharp and responsive transmission – the Type R can certainly score here – again thanks to the gearshift point display on the instrument cluster. The amount of space available, even in the rear seats, is also incredible. But no more than two people can fit in the back – a pity.

The Otto particulate filter isn’t just 1 hp – outside Europe the Type R datasheet says 330 hp – it also absorbs sound. The hissing, roaring and shooting sounds of its predecessor are a thing of the past – the neighbors will thank you. Consumption is not groundbreaking – on the contrary: 9.7 l/100 km is quite high for a four-cylinder. The price of our test car, which comes with a proud choice of 64,000 CHF, is also very high. A lot of money for a compact sports car that is also completely unconvincing in terms of craftsmanship and that fans have to plan for a long wait at the moment!

The Civic Type R is a true driving pleasure machine with a super-powerful two-liter engine, and yet it manages to balance casual and race cars surprisingly well. The main reason for this is the perfectly tuned chassis, which is solid but not radically stubborn. But both in terms of price and fuel pump, buyers should plan an adequate budget – if you want it to be more economical, you should upgrade to the hybrid-drive civilian Civic.

Source: Blick