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The new Honda Civic Type R is a return to form for the Japanese brand’s performance arm. Following the trend for turbocharging means this is the fastest, most accessible Civic ever and there’s a chassis underneath to match these talents. However, although it’s well equipped and more powerful, the Honda is pricier than its rivals and can’t quite match the Renaultsport Megane for old-school hot hatch thrills and feel.
We’ve had to wait an agonising five years for a new Honda Civic Type R, but finally we’ve driven the latest hot hatchback to hit the market – and although Honda might be a bit late to the party, it’s definitely been worth the wait.
First of all, there are some big changes under the new, bulging skin compared to the old hot Civic, including a new 2.0-litre turbocharged engine in place of the previous naturally aspirated high revving unit. Hardcore Honda purists might not be so pleased, as the old car’s character was defined by this feature, but the new Type R is a worthy successor.
Hot hatchbacks are all about mixing performance with real-world usability, and the Honda excels at both. But lets start with the former.
The new four-cylinder turbo engine kicks out a seriously muscular 306bhp and 400Nm of torque, which means extremely rapid performance. The 0-62mph sprint takes just 5.7 seconds, while the family hatch will top out at 167mph - but the first thing that strikes you is the engine’s mid-range.
Put your foot to the floor and it pulls with a great slug of torque, meaning you can leave it in gear. However, if you want to work the box, the six-sped manual is perfectly suited to the power unit, with a super short throw and a lovely, precise mechanical action.
You can’t feel the engine’s VTEC system kick in any more (it now performs its magic as low as 1,200rpm for better low down response), but there’s still a ferocious top end to play with and the engine will rev out to its 7,000rpm redline sweetly, so the traditional heady Type R character is still accessible. And with the added whooshes and whistles from the turbo, there’s a new element to the Honda’s engine note.
It’s not all good news, however – those four fat exhaust pipes emit a bassy blare at idle, but on the move the engine is more droney and the noise is quite intrusive if you’re on a long cruise.
The problem’s easily solved by turning off the motorway and onto a twisty back road though, as it’s here the Civic really starts to come alive. Push the +R button and the dash turns from white to glowing red, the suspension dampers get 30 per cent stiffer, while the throttle is more responsive and the steering weights up.
As a result the Type R takes on an extra hardcore, focused edge and feels even more lithe and agile. The big 350mm Brembo brakes have huge stopping power and nice feel, and the heftier steering is very precise. It’s not overflowing with feel, but it’s accurate enough for you to guide the Civic through a corner, adjusting your line with tiny movements of the steering and throttle. Floor the accelerator out of a bend and the traction from the limited-slip diff and super sticky low profile tyres is immense.
Honda has designed a clever new suspension system for the Civic’s front-end to give it this extra dynamic ability. By separating components with a new ‘dual axis’ strut design it means each can do their job better, reducing torque steer by as much as 50 per cent. It’s not completely gone, but the wheel wriggles less and doesn’t tug your hands quite so much under hard acceleration.
You can use all of the Civic’s power, too, as the chassis is so grippy and communicates what’s going on clearly. The adjustable dampers are noticeably stiffer in the +R mode, but the car still rides nicely. Body control is excellent, even if it is a bit bumpy on poor roads.
The Type R isn’t designed for cruising, but dial the chassis back to the normal mode and it’s surprisingly refined. The sporty bucket seats offer lots of support, but they’re comfortable, too, and mean you can find the perfect driving position.
There’s plenty of standard equipment, including Bluetooth, keyless entry, cruise and climate control, rear parking sensors, autonomous braking and Honda’s CONNECT multimedia system. It’s not the neatest unit and looks like an off-the-shelf part stuck in the dash, but it works well.
At £29,995 it’s more expensive than some of its rivals, but for another £2,300 you can spec the GT pack, which adds sat-nav and some extra safety systems, including blind spot, forward collision and lane departure warning, as well as cross traffic alert.
In either form the Civic is massively practical – visibility is good despite that huge rear wing, there’s plenty of space in the rear and, with the standard five-door hatchback’s clever Magic Seats, there’s a cavernous amount of luggage room on offer. There’s 498 litres of boot space with the rear seats in place, but fold them down with the clever one-movement operation and it increases to a massive 1,427 litres.
This real-world usability is supported by decent efficiency. Honda has not yet confirmed fuel economy or CO2 emissions, but it expects the Type R will return 38.7mpg and put out 170g/km, which is 4g/km less than the less powerful Renaultsport Megane.
Even the steroidal styling doesn’t affect practicality – it actually contributes towards performance and efficiency, with clever cut outs and vents to reduce drag over the Type R’s angular body. The jutting splitter, nearly flat underfloor, rear diffuser and huge wing also add ‘noticeable’ downforce to improve grip and balance in high speed turns, according to Honda’s engineers.
Overall then, the new Honda Civic Type R might have lost a touch of its old banzai rev-happy character, but it’s gained much more in terms of performance and practicality. The engine and chassis combine to make a devastatingly effective package that boasts surprising practicality to boot, but next to the best in the sector, the Civic lacks that last layer of feel.
Our pictures show a UK-spec car - but we drove a left-hand drive model. Look out for our full UK test.
The new Civic Type R. £29,995 of hardcore 306bhp Japanese hatch, front wheel drive, six speed manual gearbox, proper mechanical LSD, gorgeous gear change, clamping seats, revs to the skies, you know the score.
Revs to the skies? Really?
OK, no, that's where things fall a bit short. 7,000rpm is your limit in this new turbocharged motor, but it does make a real song and dance about getting there, dash lights blazing, second and third consumed in a blaze of force and urgency.
As good as the old naturally aspirated VTECs?
We'll come on to that. First let's consider what Honda has done to turn the standard Civic into the Type R.
As you'd expect from a company with Honda's reputation for engineering integrity, it's a fairly comprehensive list that starts with the bodyshell itself. Rigidity has been increased by 18 per cent, not by adding extra steel, but by changing the bracket designs and using the adhesive more cleverly.
Richard Hammond drives the original Honda Civic Type R
It's very rare to find a company prepared to go to such lengths to turn a regular hatch into a hot hatch - this really is starting at square one and rebuilding.
What about the suspension?
Remember a few years back when the fashionable term in hot hatchdom was ‘reduced kingpin offset'? I know, exciting times. Anyway, the Ford Focus RS, Astra VXR and Megane all had trick front suspension systems designed to reduce torque steer by minimising the camber change on the front wheels during cornering - necessary when trying to put the thick end of 300bhp through the front wheels.
Vauxhall called it HiPerStrut, Ford Revoknuckle and Renault PerfoHub. Well, now it's Honda's turn to shout about its new Dual Axis Strut Front Suspension. DASFS. Catchy. The main claim is appealing though: torque steer is claimed to be reduced by 55 per cent.
News: this is the new Honda NSX
The lower arms, damper forks and bushes have also been re-engineered, although at the back Honda has stuck with a torsion beam set-up. The promise is good - the new design for the Type-R is so stiff (up 177 per cent on the standard car) that there's no need for a rear anti-roll bar.
Now can we talk about the engine?
We can. It's an all-new 2.0-litre four cylinder direct injection VTEC Turbo. This is relatively standard fare, and mighty though the power outputs are (306 bhp at 6500rpm and 295lb ft at 2500rpm) they're not outrageous these days. The Golf R is only 10bhp down.
What is slightly unusual is that while most opt for variable vane turbo geometry to control boost across the rev range, Honda uses a monoscroll unit and depends on its VTEC valve control to manage things. It also electronically controls the wastegate.
Gallery: ten of the most powerful hot hatches
However, if you were expecting Honda's engineering nous to have eradicated all lag, you're in for a disappointment. At low engine speeds there's quite a bit of it and it's not until past 3,000rpm that it really hits its stride. It's better at picking up quickly at high revs, and once away and blowing hard the Civic is massively fast. Massively.
Would I trade this flexibility and power against the noise and sharpness of the old car? Tough one. Yep, I probably would.
It weighs a claimed 1378kg, which gives it a power to weight ratio of 222bhp per tonne, ten per cent better than a Golf R. It consumes those tightly stacked lower gears, every gearchange in the new six speed manual a total delight. So precise, so tight, so slick.
If everybody had a manual gearbox like this there'd be no call for double clutch gearboxes.
Does it sound good?
The Civic Type R makes noise. Quite a bit of noise, and it goads you on, but it's not tuneful, not nice to listen to. Instead you get the feeling that the car's only intent is to get to the next gear as soon as possible, and that it views sounding good as superfluous small talk.
It's a shame, because you get a bit of exhaust woofle on start-up, and on light throttle openings around town the turbo wastegate chatters audibly.
And how is it at doing normal stuff?
It's not a Golf R. The Type R doesn't have that calmness about it. But you know what? Apart from excessive tyre roar on coarse surfaces, it's fine on motorways and the boot is huge. Back seats, too - although the seat bases don't do the clever cinema flip-up thing on the Type-R.
There's plenty of headroom, and the view out the back is surprisingly good, entirely unimpeded (unsurprisingly) by that lofty wing. We averaged 27.8mpg over the course of 450 mixed miles. And the ride is satisfying.
Satisfying?
Well, I wouldn't call it comfortable, but it's tremendously well controlled and you get the feeling it's underpinned by expensive dampers. The Civic is firm over speed bumps and potholes, but rounds off the edges really well. Considering the tyres are 235/35 ZR19s (Conti CSC6s, rubber fans), that's a good effort. It never feels less than purposefully sporty, though. In fact the whole car is shot through with a motorsport vibe that starts with the cabin.
Good seats?
Fabulous. Really tall side bolsters, good side support. Best road car seats I've sat in for a while, actually. Same goes for all the touch points - lovely aluminium gearlever, shapely leather steering wheel, well judged pedal weights.
The trouble is the rest of the two-tier dash - as your view of the instruments is split by the rim, you're very limited in where you can position the steering wheel. It's a problem exacerbated by the fact that, although dropped by 30mm over the standard hatch, the seat is still mounted too high.
Enough to affect the driving experience?
Not for me - just one of those things you get used to. And the driving experience is pretty compelling.
The best way to describe it is that the Civic isn't one of those playful hatches, like the Focus ST or Mini Cooper S. No, the new Type-R is serious about speed. And it's very good at it - not just at achieving it with the engine, but maintaining it through corners.
Two things strike you immediately - how low the centre of gravity seems, and how stiff the shell is. We took our long term VW Golf R along as a comparison, and, for the first time, detected within it a tiny bit of structural shimmy on difficult Welsh roads, which I don't think I'd have noticed if the Civic hadn't been so tight.
Combine this tautness with the controlled damping and a pukka mechanical LSD, and you have a very effective cross country device. OK, it might not sound the best, and the messages coming back through the steering don't quite have the Golf's clarity, but it's a very absorbing, all-consuming car to drive. Where the Golf is ‘I'm game if you are', the Civic is more ‘come on, keep up, let's see what you've got...'
Fairly full-on, then?
Oh yes. The Type R charges about the place in a very determined manner. You find yourself using high revs because that's where the engine is happiest, while the four piston vented and cross-drilled 350mm front Brembos are mighty (although the rear discs are weenie and flimsy-looking in comparison) and the diff is deliriously effective.
It doesn't do a bad impression of a touring car or tarmac rally car to be honest, but to get the best out of it you have to take it by the scruff and concentrate.
Ideally, an ability to left-foot brake is preferable, allowing you to build up boost pressure on the throttle and release the brakes at the apex for a suitably rapid, lag-free corner exit. Yep, all a bit track-day-enthusiast, but that's what the Civic is like, and you'll get more out of it if you do.
Still, it's not an edgy handler. All the work is done by the front axle - the rear simply follows along safely and predictably. There's nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't quite have the Golf's mid-corner adjustability.
Traction though... well, I swear the Civic is as quick out of corners as the 4WD Golf R. It's immense. Which leads me on to +R.
What the heck is +R?
A button on the dash that makes the instrument rings glow red instead of white. It also loosens the ESC shackles, implements a more aggressive torque map, reduces assistance to the electric power steering and firms up the magnetorheological dampers.
Magentorheo-what?
Yep, the same adaptive damping tech as used in the Audi R8, Ferrari 458 and Corvette Stingray. It's the best system out there, and in the Civic firms the dampers up by 30 per cent.
The only issue is that, while the other +R changes are useful, you neither need nor want the stiffer dampers unless you're on millpond tarmac. But you can't amend the settings individually: the choice, frustratingly, is either to +R or to not +R.
The bodywork is very +R...
Ah yes, the thorny issue of the way the Civic looks. It's not understated is it? Nor, depending on your viewpoint, tasteful.
I like the wheels, but the bolt-on panels overpower them to such an extent that the 19s don't fill the arches. And the slats on the bonnet and behind the front wheels are just daft. Honda swears blind these serve a purpose, venting air, but on closer scrutiny they appear to be filled in with plastic inserts.
Honda says there are tiny holes in the plastic. We say, if they serve a purpose why make them look like they don't? And wouldn't they be more effective if the holes were less tiny? Honda has a reputation for engineering integrity, and silly slips like these undo decades of good work.
Similarly, Honda claims the Civic produces active downforce at speed, but wasn't willing to share how much it does produce. Look, the Type R doesn't need this. It's a very good car, but the styling is too childish for a hatch that's not affordable by the people it most likely appeals to. Maybe you see it differently, and that's fine.
How much does it cost?
£29,995, or add the GT pack for another £2,300.
Most buyers in the UK (it goes on sale here in July) will and it looks good value adding auto lights and wipers, parking sensors, dual zone climate, Honda Connect infotainment with premium 320w audio and Garmin nav. Honda is also offering PCP deals at £299 per month with an initial £10,000 down.
Now, what about that Nurburgring lap time?
A pre-production development Type R went round the Nordschliefe in 7m50.63s. If Honda can repeat that in a production car it'll be the fastest hatch of all. And, yep, I do totally buy that. It's hugely fast.
Since we had the Civic for a couple of days we took the opportunity to strap our timing gear on. Honda says 0-62mph takes 5.7 seconds. We did 0-60mph in 5.3 seconds and 100mph in 11.2 seconds. 167mph top whack? Yep, reckon it could do that.
What's the verdict, then?
I have reservations over the Civic Type R's image and appearance, and Honda's taken an unashamedly hardcore tack with it. But it's genuinely exciting to drive, massively fast and relaxes far better than the bodywork suggests.
It's very different to a Golf R, but effectively carves its own niche in the hot hatch class - there's nothing else quite like it except the Megane, and I'd have it over the Renault. I think. Anyway, the more I drove it the more I liked it. I ended up liking it a lot.
2015 HONDA CIVIC TYPE-R AT A GLANCE
Handling: ★★★★★☆
Performance: ★★★★☆
Design: ★★☆☆☆
Interior: ★★★☆☆
Practicality: ★★★★☆
Costs: ★★★☆☆
IF THE simplest ideas are often the best ones, it’s little wonder the hot hatchback has caught on. Take the most popular type of car – the hatchback – insert a powerful engine and uprate the suspension and brakes to cope with the added performance, then keep the price of the car affordable.
In 1975 there was just the one, a humble Volkswagen Golf with 108bhp and a GTI badge on its boot. Today, there are more than a petrolhead could count on their fingers and toes, with levels of performance that even a permatanned Ferrari driver would be envious of. Yet the current full fat VW Golf R is a car that’s as suited to the school run as it is bombing around Brands Hatch; it sets the standards of extreme versatility by which others follow.
Honda hopes to change all that. After a lull of five years, its Civic Type R is back – and the Japanese company thinks drivers will embrace it with the kind of enthusiasm Kim Kardashian has for self-publicity.
The Civic Type R is “the world’s most keenly anticipated hot hatch,” says Honda. It’s quite a claim, given that the hot hatch market is the World Cup of cars, with allegiances clearly divided between car makers from Italy, France, Germany, Japan and Spain.
Undoubtedly, Type R cars have come to enjoy something of a cult following. The first Honda to wear a Type R badge was the NSX, in 1992. That was a rare, mid-engined sports car that rivaled the Porsche 911, but it was the Integra Type R, of 1995, that cemented the appeal of Honda’s most sporting cars. It was an innocent-looking four-seat coupé that took the world by surprise; the car was as lean and focused as Bruce Lee, and the attention to detail that went into the engineering of the body structure and highly-tuned 1.8-litre VTEC engine was the stuff of most engineers’ dreams.
The first Civic to be given the Type R treatment hit the road in 1997. Two further versions followed, and all featured characteristically high-revving, naturally aspirated four-cylinder engines, a front-wheel drive chassis and an interior that was simple and sporty in equal parts.
Much has changed for the new, fourth generation Civic Type R. For starters, it’s the first model to feature a turbocharged engine. This was an inevitable evolution if Honda wasn’t to be left standing at the starting grid, given the race between car makers for ever-increasing sums of horsepower and thrust (and efficiency) from a hot hatchback’s engine.
It’s a 2-litre, four-cylinder direct-injection petrol unit with VTEC variable valve timing, and on paper the figures talk the talk; this is the most powerful front-wheel drive car of its kind, with 305bhp. But in some respects it’s a reformed character after Type R engines of old; there’s lots of torque from low in the rev range and the rev limit is a good 1000rpm lower than four-cylinder motors of years gone by.
What’s more, this is the first Type R to feature an electronically adjustable damping system and a selectable “+R” driving mode, which intensifies the car’s driving performance.
And then there’s the styling. Where a Golf R treads a fine line in subtlety, the Honda wants the world to know that its driver is seriously intent on getting away from the traffic lights before anyone else. “Try me,” it growls.
There are black-painted alloy wheels with contrasting red rims, a jutting front spoiler, also in black with a red stripe running around it and a double-decker rear wing much like the sort of affair found on the back of a British Touring Car.
It will divide car buyers, for sure. One critic we came across told us it looked like it had been driven through a branch of Halfords and collected all the spare parts along the way. Another suggested it had been designed by a seven-year old avid viewer of Top Gear; we countered that if it had been they’d have had to have a pretty solid understanding of aerodynamics. Peek beneath the nose of the 2015 Civic Type R and there’s a flush plastic floor with intakes that channel air along the length of the car and spit it out again, venturi-effect, at the back, effectively sucking the car to the ground at high speed.
Wider air intakes help keep the engine bay cool and air exits just above the front wheels from small, plastic ducts. The wider wings are fashioned from aluminium – 47% lighter than steel parts, says Honda – and vents behind the front wings help clear heat from the large, drilled and ventilated Brembo brakes.
Make no mistake, this is a very serious little car. One that is deliberately aimed at an exclusive audience of grease monkeys who can recite, off the top of their head, the Top 50 fastest lap times of road cars that have lapped the Nürburgring racing circuit (7 minutes 50.63 seconds for the new Civic Type R, since you ask.)
Can it live up to its own hype, though? Well, no doubt about it, the performance is impressive. Floor the throttle and the engine responds with vivid acceleration, pinning driver and passengers back into their seats.
Given a perfect racing start, it will scorch its way from standstill to 62mph in 5.7 seconds, just half a second slower than the Golf R, which has the advantage of four-wheel drive to improve traction. Given a full head of steam, the Honda can power all the way to a heady-sounding 167mph.
Yet the engine offers a very different experience to any Type R engine that’s gone before it. For starters, this one has plenty of torque, so from just 2,500rpm the car feels as though it’s hauling in the horizon. In old Type Rs, drivers would have to wait until somewhere between 5,500rpm and 6,000rpm before their engines would wake up and race, screaming like a banshee, all the way to 8,000rpm.
And then there’s its smoothness – or lack of. Past VTEC engines felt as though they relished being flogged by an enthusiastic driver, whereas this new unit has a gruff resonance that’s loud, and accompanied by all sorts of whistles and hisses from the turbocharger, but not particularly tuneful.
Its sheer speed is matched by the car’s roadholding. It clings to the road like a dog holds on to a stick, and the Continental tyres – new ContiSportContact6 – generate higher cornering speeds than even the four-wheel drive Golf R. At times, it feels like a racing car, so glued to the road are the tyres, and there’s a raw, seat of the pants feel to proceedings that allows the driver to push it right to the limit in confidence.
Eye-wateringly powerful brakes and a slick, short-throw, manual gearchange add to the impression that here’s a hot hatch that will embarrass plenty of expensive sports cars at a race track.
Part of the secret to this is the suspension and its adaptive damping, which gives a flat stance through bends, virtually eliminating body roll. But also helping is a good balance of grip between the front and rear axles and a limited slip differential, which gives impressive traction when accelerating out of a corner.
However, we were only able to test the car on track and on the public roads in dry weather. How it copes with wet roads remains to be seen.
The ride comfort is, unsurprisingly, firm on the road but not so much so that it would shake the driver’s fillings loose. And the driving position, seat and pedal arrangement are all comfortable and keep the driver firmly braced in place.
What gripes there are have been inherited from the normal Civic. The infotainment system is not the best and it’s impossible for drivers of an average height to view the car’s speedometer. There’s no spare wheel, either, just a tyre-inflation kit. But the five-door body offers plenty of cabin space for four adults, the back seats fold down in one easy action and the large boot is deep and square sided.
At times, there’s an uneasy feeling that Honda finds itself torn between the purist, engineering-led approach of Type R, where less is more, and the pragmatic approach of a marketing department that not only wants to set the pace on a race track, but also feels the need to offer all the gadgets and gizmos found on competitor cars.
To that extent, it features Intelligent Speed Limiter, which can manage the speed of the vehicle is travelling at, should the local limit change to a lower speed. And there are a host of other active driving aids which some may feel are at odds with a car that feels as focussed on delivering a raw driving experience as this does.
Judging the car’s cost depends on how much you value that driving experience. Two versions are available – a standard model and a GT with additional equipment. Prices start at £29,995 for the former and £32,295 for the latter. By way of comparison, a Golf R costs from £30,820.
The Civic is the more extreme car and, if we’re being honest, quite wearing at the end of a long day at the office – in much the same vein as the Megane Renaultsport 275 Trophy. So it won’t have such widespread appeal as the Golf.
Nonetheless, it’s a thrilling, exciting machine that puts Honda on pole position at the race track. If you’re the sort of driver who doesn’t welcome compromise, it’s got to be the hot hatch of choice.
What gripes there are have been inherited from the normal Civic. The infotainment system is not the best and it’s impossible for drivers of an average height to view the car’s speedometer.
I know the Top Gear review mentioned this too, but this seems much more than a gripe. And downright dangerous. Do the seats adjust vertically? This could be a huge deal breaker.
The most important question is, are we going to get this particular version?
It does not matter how good it is if we don't get it.
The lack of any North American reviews makes me think it isn't likely. At least not the first production year. Who knows about further down the road. I hate Honda.
Honda as of late has been bringing us good news.....new Pilot, the MMC Accord, new HR-V, the new Civic, the CR-V MMC......I'm hoping the trend to continue and they bring us a real good Civic Type R too.
Honda as of late has been bringing us good news.....new Pilot, the MMC Accord, new HR-V, the new Civic, the CR-V MMC......I'm hoping the trend to continue and they bring us a real good Civic Type R too.
Knowing the way Honda Hattes us, They will give us the body, but a 170 hp engine with the type-r badges on it.
Advancing Environment a Natural Fit in Honda Vehicle Lineup
Jun 15, 2015
As we take major steps to further strengthen and align our product portfolio around the changing preferences of our customers, growth opportunities in the marketplace and the needs of society, we are rolling out incredible new products that are creating the strongest and most fuel efficient lineup in our history.
This effort is keyed to a new generation of powertrain technologies, including more fuel-efficient engines and transmissions and new hybrid systems. As a result, our high-volume products of today including Fit, Civic and Accord on the passenger car side and HR-V, CR-V, Pilot and Odyssey on the light truck side, are already achieving best-in-class fuel economy.
We will further advance this leadership with the launch this fall of an all-new 10th-generation Civic that will deliver fun-to-drive performance in concert with top-in-class fuel efficiency and safety. With two new engines on the new Civic, including our first turbo engine, we are targeting class-leading fuel economy for Civic, with EPA highway fuel economy a few ticks above 40 miles per gallon.
Due, in part to this ability to advance fuel economy through conventional engine technology, the Civic lineup will no longer include a hybrid or a natural gas model, as we will discontinue production of both of these products with the end of the 2015 model year.
Honda has promoted CNG-powered vehicles for many years. For most of the past 15 years we have been the only automaker with a dedicated CNG vehicle. Despite this commitment, the infrastructure for natural gas refueling and consumer demand remains a challenge. Production of the Civic Natural Gas model has been completed at our Indiana plant, but we will continue to provide a high level of service to our existing customers through CNG-certified Honda dealers.
The Civic Hybrid has played a very important role in helping promote customers' appreciation for hybrid technology and is presently the only hybrid variant of a mainstream compact sedan. For the future we will place our focus more on our two-motor hybrid system, where we feel we can meet the needs and expectations of customers for hybrids and achieve greater reduction of CO2 emissions.
We will not be offering a plug-in version of Accord going forward as we look toward the scheduled launch of a new dedicated plug-in model. But we will expand application of our innovative two- and three-motor hybrid systems in the coming years. The Accord Hybrid is already the most fuel-efficient 5-passenger sedan in America, and the new Accord Hybrid set to debut in early 2016 will raise the bar with the next-generation of Honda's two-motor hybrid system for even greater fuel economy and performance. Further, enhancements to production methods for the two-motor system will help lead to a strong increase in Accord Hybrid sales.
We are also working to advance electrified vehicles to meet the diverse needs and wants of environmentally conscious customers. We are developing an entirely new generation of vehicles starting from the introduction in 2016 of our next-generation fuel cell vehicle. This will be followed by an all-new battery electric model and the all-new plug-in hybrid model.
So, Honda is committed to offering vehicles with best-in-class fuel economy today through a new generation of powertrain technology. We're developing an entire new generation of electrified vehicles that will continue our leadership tomorrow. And in the process we are creating the strongest and most balanced vehicle lineup in our history.
We remain committed to our vision for more sustainable mobility, and we are excited to be introducing a fantastic lineup of products that are more fun and more fuel efficient than ever before.
John Mendel
Executive Vice President, Automobile Division
American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Honda as of late has been bringing us good news.....new Pilot, the MMC Accord, new HR-V, the new Civic, the CR-V MMC......I'm hoping the trend to continue and they bring us a real good Civic Type R too.
Those news do not excite me at all for some reason....
You know what would excite me!?
New S2K/NSX/CTR... selling in the States.
Originally Posted by TacoBello
Hmmm... I just realized this is the first white Type R to not be riding on white wheels. A new trend for Honda?
It's been so long that Honda probably forgot that they used the pearl white wheels back then.
If this Civic Type R had come out a decade ago, it would have left us speechless. Today, it just seems like … everything else. There’s not much in the way of innovation here — the front-strut design is something we’ve seen before, active shocks are great but nothing new, and the engine, powerful though it is, doesn’t do anything that other turbo-fours haven’t. Although it’s a fun back-road blaster, the R fades into one-dimensional understeer machine on track.
2015 Honda Civic Type R Euro Spec cabin
The Ford Fiesta ST showed us that a front-drive car with a twist-beam rear suspension can handle like a neutral race car. The Mercedes GLA45 AMG showed us that it’s possible to get stupid power out of a little four-cylinder. The Volkswagen GTI has no torque steer but still manages communicative steering — with or without its locking differential. And the forthcoming Ford Focus RS, with its torque-vectoring front diff, is about to show the world that you can drift a FWD-based AWD car.
The Civic Type R doesn’t add to that list. It’s a collection of great pieces, but they’re all familiar. The car is very fun. It’s very fast. It looks the business. But it didn’t make us stand back and say “oh my” like the first time we experienced VTEC. Or SH-AWD. Or, for that matter, any time we’ve been behind the wheel of something with a Type R badge on it.
We think a detuned version of this engine will make a lot of Civic drivers very happy. We’re geeked about the return of a five-door Civic to America. And we could genuinely not be happier that Honda is promising to once again pay attention to its enthusiast fans. Now all that’s left is for Honda to wow us like it used to.
But since we all know that Honda horsepower is greater than everyone else's horsepower, the 26 bazillion horsepower is actually more equivalent to infinity horsepower.
People have been saying how Honda is falling behind since everyone has a boosted 4-banger that makes close to 300hp. Now that the Civic gets a boosted 4-banger with over 300hp, they are not happy that it's just like everyone else.
The article basically says the CTR isn't bringing any new innovation. But does it matter if the goal is to set a new Nurburgring lap record for a FWD production car at a reasonable cost? Can any other car claim that in this segment?
Reviews are nothing but personal opinions. And opinions are like buttholes- everyone has one.
By the end of the day, you gotta drive the car for yourself and see if you love it. I'd never hold what some dude that lives in a completely different part of the country, and altogether different climate than I do, tell me what is a good and bad vehicle.
Put out a new, shitty GM product, and MT will call it car of the year
People have been saying how Honda is falling behind since everyone has a boosted 4-banger that makes close to 300hp. Now that the Civic gets a boosted 4-banger with over 300hp, they are not happy that it's just like everyone else.
The article basically says the CTR isn't bringing any new innovation. But does it matter if the goal is to set a new Nurburgring lap record for a FWD production car at a reasonable cost? Can any other car claim that in this segment?
Yah except we are talking about Type R here... when you say Civic Type R, Integra Type R, NSX Type R or any Type R from Honda, it means something special.
I have not driven it so i don't know how it drives but it better be one hell of a car to be called Type R.
Yup, for sure. Type R should be special. And like TacoBello's saying, a lot of it comes down to personal opinions. I just find the MT's conclusion a bit interesting. Based on the content of the article, one could have written the conclusion like this,
"While the CTR doesn't bring any new innovation to the table, it's a record-breaking car that does many things brilliantly. Its turbocharged engine is powerful and is generally lag-free. It can rev to 7000rpm. Even though there's close to 300lbft of torque, torque steer is barely noticeable. The brakes are strong and fade-free. While adaptive dampers are nothing new, the ones in the CTR work very well. It allows for a relatively supple ride in normal mode, but in the +R mode, it turns the CTR into a proper race car. The 6MT is a joy to use, while the LSD makes the car feels like it has AWD.
No, the CTR is not perfect. The car has a stiff chassis with tons of grip. However, the car tends to understeer at the limit, and the steering wheel fails to communicate that to the driver. With that said, if you are looking for a car with a radical exterior design and serious track performance without breaking the bank, then the CTR is worth your consideration."
People have been saying how Honda is falling behind since everyone has a boosted 4-banger that makes close to 300hp. Now that the Civic gets a boosted 4-banger with over 300hp, they are not happy that it's just like everyone else.
Will we see similar reviews for the NSX? Now that hybrid Supercars have been available long before the NSX is? Regardless of price. damned if you do.... But Honda has sort of done this to themselves. As expectations for the brand are high.
I'm just hoping a de-tuned version of Honda's 2.0T trickles its way into a Si sedan and gets mated to a a dual clutch tranny.
06-02-2015, 01:49 PM
