Road test review: Honda Civic Type R

Thursday, 29 October 2020

HONDA CIVIC TYPE R
Base price: $62,990
Powertrain and economy: 2.0-litre turbo-petrol inline-four, 228kW/400Nm, 6-speed manual, 2WD, combined economy 8.8L/100km, CO2 202g/km (source: RightCar).

It might look like the same ol’ Civic Type R but there are a few changes.

Vital statistics: 4557mm long, 1877mm wide, 1434mm high, 2700mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 420 litres, 20-inch alloy wheels.
We like: Same mental performance, new tear-shaped gearknob is awesome, fake engine sounds improve the aural experience
We don't like: Fake engine sounds never quite sound as good as the real thing, outdated infotainment system, still no custom drive modes

A nice retro touch is the new gear knob, reminiscent of the EK9 Civic Type R.

At this point it’s probably apparent, but I really like the Civic Type R, despite its shortcomings. I think it looks good, I know it goes like a cut cat and now Honda has figured out how to make it even better with a refresh for 2021. Any excuse to drive one, really.

But why does it look like a Japanese anime’s take on a Transformer?

The thick, bewinged rear end is still as loud as before – visually, not aurally. Unfortunately.

Sorry, 2017 called, it wants its lame attempt at trolling back. I don’t care about the adolescent styling, to be honest. It looks fast, which it is, and that makes it okay. I could go into how the humongous spoiler and vortex generators on the roof generate actual downforce but you probably know that stuff already.

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You also probably know about how freaking fast this thing is. It has knocked off plenty of lap records in its three-ish years of existence and is capable of tugging the faces of even the most stoic of passengers with its cornering forces.

So what’s new about it?

For 2021, the Civic Type R marches on with a few tweaks. There is a new gear knob - now teardrop-shaped as a nod to the EK9 Civic Type R of old – body-colour accent blades in the vents, a new touchscreen, new climate control buttons, a larger grille to improve cooling in high demand situations, more reactive active dampers, tweaked bushings and new two-piece front brake rotors. Track day fanatics can also download Honda's new LogR data logging software for in-depth analyses of their laps.

Additionally, Honda has (finally) addressed the issue of noise, or the lack thereof. Unfortunately, it isn’t by way of a new, louder exhaust to do those sexy triple outlets proud. Instead, it’s something called ‘ASC’ which stands for Active Sound Control. ASC is basically Honda’s form of synthetic engine noise piped in through the speakers.

Okay, how does it all come together?

Well, you probably won’t notice the bulk of the changes if you’re driving last year’s model. The Type R is still as rabid as it ever was, though now it’s just a bit more so. The adjusted suspension keeps the front end planted on your favourite roads and I didn’t notice any issues with overheating, not that I did before, though.

The same three drive modes are present and accounted for, Comfort dialling the suspension and steering back for cruising and urban driving, Sports being the default balanced mode and +R the “you wanna see some real speed?” option that should really only be used on the smoothest roads.

So it’s fast and fun to drive – does it do anything wrong?

Annoyingly, Honda still hasn’t given us an Individual or customisable drive mode. I'd like to be able to have the sportiest steering, twitchiest throttle along with the softest suspension if I felt like it but for now, that’s just a dream.

Comfort also doesn’t seem to have ASC activated while Sport and +R do. There’s no option that I could find to toggle this either, just another reason to have a custom drive mode. It doesn’t sound terrible, sort of like an exaggerated intake sound. You hear it most on the downshifts, especially with the automatic rev-matching enabled. It could just be me but the turbo also seems a bit louder this time around. Again, it would be nice to have the option to enable and disable without changing the entire drive mode.

If you’re seeking more power, you’ll have to wait another year at least. The Type R’s turbocharged two-litre produces the same 228kW/400Nm as before. It never feels lacking in reality but against some other hot hatches on paper, it’s starting to look a little lean in the herbs department.

Any other cars I should consider?

While the Civic Type R is far from the perfect hot hatch, it’s hard to offer the same level of performance for the money, despite the increase of $3000 from last year. You could look into the Hyundai i30 N for $59,990 or Ford’s Focus ST for the same price, though that one only comes as an automatic. Alternatively, if you’re content to wait a bit, Toyota has the GR Yaris waiting in the wings, which trades a bit less power and torque for a throaty, boosted 1.6-litre triple and less weight, despite the addition of all-wheel drive.