Next-generation Honda Civic Type R revealed – A front-wheel-drive record breaker

Honda has ripped the covers off its 2023 Civic Type R, the most powerful car in the Type R’s 30-year history.

It has been engineered from the ground up to offer the most thrilling driving experience in the Honda product catalogue, enhanced by a low and wide body and driver-centric cockpit.

The new high-performance Civic will launch in the US market in the third quarter of next year, but Honda South Africa has not yet confirmed whether it will reach local showrooms.

The details

The sixth-generation Civic Type R is based on the all-new Civic Hatchback, but it’s been made longer, lower, and wider – and intricate aerodynamics have been built into the outer shell.

Most notably, it sports a more aggressive front bumper with a honeycomb-mesh grille, larger front fenders, sculpted side sills that enhance airflow efficiency, wider rear doors, a more-effective rear spoiler, and a reshaped rear bumper with a diffuser that still accommodates the Type R’s signature triple-exhaust outlet.

It also boasts wider and lighter alloy wheels, and will be available in five exterior colours comprising Rallye Red, Boost Blue, Crystal Black Pearl, Sonic Grey Pear, and Historic Champion White – “a Type R exclusive finish revered by Honda enthusiasts,” said the automaker.

The honeycomb pattern of the grille is mimicked inside the cabin, spanning the length of the front fascia while housing the aircon vents and model-number designation on a small metal plate.

This Honda offers its driver an “immersive cockpit experience” with the heritage-inspired red carpets, trim finishes, and seats – the latter of which is covered in a “suede-like upholstery” that reduces body slippage during intense driving sessions.

The Type R-specific instrument cluster continues the dynamic look with a new +R driving mode that brings sporty graphics to the driver’s display, and a built-in stopwatch allows accurate recording of lap times and sharing of driving videos.

Additionally, the LogR data logger provides real-time information on the mechanical movements of the vehicle resulting from driver inputs.

Under the hood then sits the company’s “award-winning” 2.0-litre, turbo-petrol engine in partnership with a six-speed manual transmission with rev-matching abilities.

The suspension system and steering performance have also been undeniably enhanced over the previous iteration, said the manufacturer.

Unfortunately, though, it has not yet been revealed exactly what this new-generation powertrain is capable of, as this will only be made public when it’s market-ready.

Be that as it may, Honda has assured interested buyers that the new Civic Type R is “track-ready, Nurburgring-tuned, and tested” to provide an addictive driving feel.

This is complemented by the fact that this 2023 model recently set a new front-wheel-drive production-car record around the Suzuki Circuit in Japan, conquering the 5.8km figure-8 racetrack in 2 minutes 23.120 seconds thereby “securing its legacy as the best-performing Civic Type R ever.”

2023 Honda Civic Type R