Honda Civic Type R (2023) test: the price of efficiency
In 2023, the technical sheet of the Civic Type R borders on fireworks: 100% thermal engine, almost 330 hp on the front wheels alone, an app to bring down the lap times on the circuit. A super GTI which also gets carried away on the price side… but let's delay the annoying things. And there is something to smile about!
The test of the Civic Type R 2023 took place on the Estoril circuit. Power, acceleration, weight, technical sheet, find all the information in this first test.
To hear its four-cylinder atmo scream up to 8,500 rpm, we decided that the Civic Type R was not a sports car like the others. This was true in 2001, with the 200 hp EP3 type, then in 2007 with its 201 hp replacement ( FN2 type ). Then came 2015 and the revolution: the arrival of a turboand a red zone reduced to 7,000 rpm. Against all expectations, the purists did not flinch. Undoubtedly delighted that the Type R finally drops its rivals in terms of performance… and not just in a straight line. Does the North Loop of the Nürburgring ring a bell? To the 310 hp Civic Type R FK2 yes, when it offered the scalp of a radical Mégane RS Trophy-R (bare cabin with two seats, semi-slick tires) by strolling four real seats and road tires.
Civic Type R EP3 (2001)
Civic Type R FN2 (2007)
Civic Type R FK2 (2015)
Civic Type R FK8 (2017)
Second record from 2017 with the 320 hp Type R FK8, fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, later available on the lightweight Civic Type R Limited Edition . What about the time of the new Civic Type R FL5 then? The chief engineer, Kotaro Yamamoto, points us in the direction: “ We will return to the Nürburgring as soon as the weather conditions allow it. The primary objective will be to measure progress against the previous generation. And if the time is good, of course we will communicate it . » Pragmatic.
From the Civic Type R “FK2” to the Type R “FL5”…
To afford a new record on the track of… Suzuka, the Civic Type R recovers the same technical basis but refines everything that can be. The four-cylinder 2.0 goes from 320 to 329 hp after optimization of the turbo, evolution of the admission and release of the exhaust. The wheels regress from 20 to 19 inches to reduce the unsprung masses but adopt a dinosaur footprint (265 mm wide!). The increased radiator improves the cooling, like the new scoops of brake which remove the fog lamps with the passage. The body is stiffened, the track widened (2.6 cm in front, 3 cm behind) and the wheelbase stretched by 3.5 cm to increase stability.
4.59 m long, the new Civic Type R adopts the size of a 1998 Honda Accord Type R.
The 265 mm wide (!) Michelin Pilot Sport 4S are standard. Cup 2s are expected as an option.
Some changes come from the restyling of the previous Civic: front brake discs mounted on a bowl, more reactive controlled suspension, stiffened suspensions of the running gear (with decoupled pivot at the front and multi-link at the rear). Finally, let's talk about the aero work via specific shields, skirts and bonnet, and a more discreet spoiler... well, less flashy... well, it's up to you to judge, but whose dimensions are declining a bit to better fit the lowered roof of 2 cm. On arrival, even less lift and still little aerodynamic drag for the fastest series traction in the world, which announces 275 km/h at top speed! That's 5 km/h better than the Type R FK2 with which we hit 290 km/hon the downhill counter. Soon the 300 km / h in Civic?
Driving
This crazy maximum speed, we will check it later, on a German motorway near the Nürburgring (for example). The playing field for this first test is further south, in Portugal, near the Estoril circuit. The journey leading to the track asserts unexpected first qualities. Coiling up its driver in a tub that is as soft as it is enveloping, the Type R 2023 erases most bumps in Comfort mode, features a clutch that is both soft and progressive and is already delighting with the ultra-precise deflections of its gearbox control, at improved linkage. Even braking appears more progressive thanks to a new master cylinder. Tweaking we said...
The driving position is lowered by 8 mm to become perfect. And what a box command!
The very low tire sidewalls do not degrade comfort too much thanks to the standard piloted suspension.
A winding road replaces urban traffic jams. We trigger the Sport mode with the tip of the index finger, which stiffens the suspension, strengthens the steering and slightly amplifies the sound, more present when overtaking a latecomer in a short straight line. The key: a small deviation in trajectory, wheels slightly turned, when the 420 Nm of torque tumble to the front tires which cling to the bitumen at the cost of beautiful lifts in the direction. At least the torque passes there on the ground as evidenced by the push, so frank that it makes you imagine on a lower report. What a breath!
A short section of fast lane puts the comfort glimpsed in the first meters into perspective, generating jolts on certain fittings and significant rolling noise (but with 265/30/19 tires...). Without to announce our final destination, the Estoril circuit.We'll tick off the ultimate “+R” mode, which releases the anti-skid, freezes the suspension, boosts throttle response and further reduces steering assistance. This mode also transforms the display of the digital instrumentation which says everything, from the oil temperature to the intake temperature, including the atmospheric pressure! We even learn, in four circles for as many wheels, the maximum potential of each tire and its use at time T according to the rises of the controlled suspension (which therefore ignores their temperature, their level of wear or the actual road grip, etc.). Difficult to admire in bends of course, but the new "LogR 2.0" driving assistant records all the data for post-circuit analysis, after displaying the lap time in real time viathe GPS beacon. A true competition Civic TCR !
On the track, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S are more efficient and durable than the old Continental SportContact6. The braking too, even if at Estoril the race on the pedal lengthened after five fast laps.
We don't think so well since, at the end of the first series of four laps, we didn't encounter any loss of grip. None: neither by forcing the registration of the front axle in the first right-hand corner, nor by crushing the mushroom in second in the uphill hairpin, nor by delaying on the brakes to cause a rapid oversteer on the right on a slope . And without any ESP anti-skid alarm clock please! Cooling lap, short pit stop to check that the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S would not have given way to the Pilot Sport Cup 2 with a semi-slick profile. But, no, not even.
We set off again, the knife between our teeth, to bring down the timer under the supervision of our passenger-instructor, who was otherwise impassive. Even abruptly, the car never comes apart and has so much mechanical grip that when a curb hits it it hops like a go-kart devoid of suspension. The pleasure here is not in the glide but in the grip! The fixed damping in +R mode should be less suitable for the roughness of our favorite North Loop but in Sport mode, more tolerant, we can already imagine the "butchery" of which the Type R will be capable... Such stability in fast turns will be a disaster on the German toboggan and, although this anthology chassis never gives the impression of moving an overpowered car, the 2.0 turbo 329 hp pedals hard too.
On board
Sleek and correctly finished, the dashboard respects the codes of ergonomics. The carpet turns red… like in the days of the 205 GTI!Honda
Competition and price Civic Type R
We had put off the annoying things, but it's time to look into it. The new Civic Type R is €10,000 more expensive than the previous one. That is €55,000 all round, before an assassin malus breaks the harmony... and our savings: €12,551 ecotax, which brings the price to €67,500 before the only option available (metallic paint at 650 or €900). At this altitude, Honda drives straight to the flats of the premium circle. A 306 hp BMW M135i, with automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive, starts at €60,800 including malus. Which does not bode well against the other single-wheel drive GTIs…
| Honda Civic Type R | Cupra Leon VZ 300 | Ford Focus ST 280 | Renault Megane RS Trophy | VW Golf GTI Clubsport | |
| Engine | 4 cyl. 2.0L | 4 cyl. 2.0L | 4 cyl. 2.3L | 4 cyl. 1.8L | 4 cyl. 2.0L |
| Power (hp at rpm) | 329 to 6,500 | 300 to 5,300 | 280 to 55 00 | 300 to 6,000 | 300 to 5,300 |
| Torque (Nm at rpm) | 420 to 2,200 | 400 to 2,000 | 420 to 3,000 | 420 to 2,400 | 400 to 2,000 |
| Box | Mech. 6 | DSG 7 | Mech. 6 | EDC 7 | DSG 7 |
| 0 to 100 km/h | 5.4s | 5.7s | 5.7s | 5.7s | 5.6s |
| Max speed | 275 km/h | 250 km/h | 250 km/h | 255 km/h | 250 km/h |
| Weight | 1429kg | 1500kg | 1,512kg | 1447kg | 1463kg |
| CO emissions2 | 186g/km | 171g/km | 183g/km | 191g/km | 168g/km |
| Penalty 2023 | €12,552 | €6,039 | €10,980 | €15,506 | €5,105 |
| Price | €55,000 | €44,400 | €40,700 | €49,650 | €51,150 |
| Price with penalty | €67,552 | €50,639 | €51,680 | €65,156 | €56,255 |
Excluding the Mégane RS Trophy 300 EDC, barely cheaper because weighed down by an even higher penalty (€15,500), the Civic Type R sails well beyond the others, such as the Cupra Leon VZ 300 and VW Golf GTI Clubsport . These two cousins rely on their DSG gearbox, whose precisely calibrated management makes them as amorphous in Normal mode as they emit little CO2on the WLTP cycle. Receiving respectively €5,000 and €6,000 in environmental tax, they cost €11,300 less on purchase for the Golf and €17,000 less for the Leon! The only other GTI with manual gearbox is called Ford Focus ST 280 . Despite a 49 hp deficit, it has identical torque (420 Nm, thanks to the “big” 2.3 l four-cylinder) and a chassis that prefers jokes to pure efficiency. Chrono enthusiasts can, however, tick the recent Circuit pack with KW suspension and semi-slick tires. An option at €3,600 largely absorbed by the list price of €40,700, before a penalty of €11,000 in 2023. Strong but still far from the €67,500 of the Type R. What an era.
The Civic Type R will be marketed in the first quarter of 2023 and will start its career with a penalty of €12,552.
Civic Type R test results
- Always more efficient than its friends in a straight line, the Honda Civic Type R further pushes its efficiency in turns, especially if they are fast, smooth and dry. The chrono pros will appreciate it, the sliding enthusiasts will shun it, but the Type R 2023 is not a boring GTI with its Olympic-shaped engine, its nice sound, its communicative controls, its more characterful front axle on small roads. And still this insolent versatility thanks to a tolerant controlled suspension and a passenger compartment as spacious as it is well equipped. This apotheosis unfortunately gives wings to the Type R, which dares to display 10,000 € more expensive than the previous one (before penalty) without any real technical justification. At €67,500 including ecotax, this Civic is fortunately the best in the kingdom!
WE LOVE
- The bluffing grip of the chassis on a dry track
- The engine brimming with health, sound intact
- The extra box order
- Versatility preserved (comfort, space on board, equipment)
WE REGRET
- The front axle is more “nervous” on bumpy roads
- The significant weight, which affects the endurance of consumables in circuit use
- Autonomy in sporty driving (47 l tank)
- The price with penalty, scary
| Technical sheet Honda Civic Type R 2023 | |
| Dimensions and weight | |
| Length | 4.59m |
| Lenght | 1.89m |
| Height | 1.41m |
| Wheelbase | 2.74m |
| Trunk volume | 410 to 1,212 liters |
| Tank capacity | 47 liters |
| Unloaded weight | from 1,429 kg |
| Tires | 265/30 R19 |
| Power and performance | |
| Type of engine | 4 cylinder turbo petrol |
| Displacement | 1996cm3 |
| Powerful | 329 hp at 6,500 rpm |
| Couple | 420 Nm at 2,200 rpm |
| Transmission | to the front wheels |
| Gearbox | manual, 6 gears |
| 0 to 100 km/h | 5.4s |
| Maximum speed | 275 km/h |
| Consumption - CO2- Penalty | |
| Mixed WLTP | 8.2l/100km |
| CO emissions2 | 186g/km |
| Malus CO2- 2023 | €12,552 |
| Weight penalty - 2022 | none |
| Guarantee | 3 years or 100,000 km |
| country of production | Japan |
Spared by hybridization, the 2.0 turbo four-cylinder spits out 329 hp in Europe. Either one horse less than in Japan, where there is no particulate filter.
Honda
Further improved, the six-box drive is a delight to handle. The automatic double-clutch system now works from second to first.
Honda
Standard and optional equipment
- 8 airbags
- Adaptive cruise control and active lane centering
- Adjustable or intelligent speed limiter
- Blind spot monitoring
- Front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera
- Hands-free key access and starting
- Dual-zone air conditioning, LED lights and automatic wipers
- Red suedecloth front bucket seats
- GPS navigation system, 9-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity
- 10.2-inch digital instrumentation
- LogR 2.0 app
- Inductive charger
- 8 speakers and 4 USB sockets
- 19-inch alloy wheels
- Driven suspension
Metallic/Premium paint: €650 (Platinum white or Crystal black)/€900 (Red or Crystalline blue)
