New Honda Civic Type R roadtest

Wearing the famous ‘Red H’ badge plus Type R and R GT badging sets this model apart from other sporty looking Civic three door models with 18-inch alloy wheels completing the understated exterior ‘premium’ look. The rear spoiler has not changed and still obliterates the driver’s rear view out of the car, not good if Mr Plod is on your tail.

Inside the Type R the standard sporty theme is enhanced with an aluminium foot rest, drilled aluminium sports pedals, Type R sill garnishes alloy gear knob with red stitched leather boot, leather multi-function steering wheel and sports seats. The car has vehicle stability assist, dual front and side airbags and a CAT 1 alarm system.

Added specification for the Type R GT includes, dual curtain airbags, cruise control, power folding door mirrors, automatic headlights, front fog lights, dual zone climate control, rain sensing wipers. Both models have a facia which house a mass of controls, all well placed but you need time to get used to their positioning and complexity.

All the other usual Civic three-door views apply, cramped rear seats and poor rear and rear side visibility. There is a good sized boot and split folding rear seats so it is a versatile vehicle and generally it feels well built and serviceable but not of premium quality.

The core to this car is the engine and transmission. This latest Civic Type R is now up against still opposition, the market has moved on and the Ford Focus ST2, Vauxhall Astra VXR and Volkswagen Golf GTi plus others offer as much if not more in the way of power.

They all certainly offer more in the way or engine torque than the Type R that has a lowly 142 lb ft at 5,600rpm. Honda has widened the torque band it is true and 90% of the ‘grunt’ is available from around 2,500rpm but it is still only 142 lb ft when most of the competitors offer well over 200 lb ft.

The engine is still a gem, free and high revving to over 8,000rpm, willing and eager with a terrific howl under acceleration but to get the best out of it you need to keep the engine revving with liberal use of the six-speed manual transmission. Thankfully the gearchange is silky smooth and precise.

Without enough torque the brilliant engine struggles with the increased weight of the new generation Civic, all weight added by the improvements in vehicle refinement, specification and safety requirements, exactly the features previous Civic Type R owners asked for.

At slower speeds and in heavy traffic, the new Type R scores heavily over its predecessor. It is more refined and more responsive and in truth those are the conditions we encounter more and more in today’s motoring conditions. On the motorway I would assume the Type R would be tiring to drive or travel in on a long journey because of the noise intrusion and very firm suspension.

The steering is a big improvement over the old car and indeed over the other new Civic models. It does not offer loads of ‘feel’ but it is accurate, quick in response and predictable. The braking is excellent with good ‘feedback’.

The handling again is predictable with plenty of grip but poorer road surfaces unsettle the handling and do nothing to help the very firm ride. The rear torsion beam axle is not as sophisticated or as efficient as a more costly independent rear system and lets the car down for overall balanced handling control.

There is no doubt that this generation of Honda Civic Type R as an overall package is much better to live with, it has grown up, it is more sophisticated and Honda will be pleased because those characteristics will be appreciated by a wider buying audience.

As a ‘Racing’ Type R it misses out on responsiveness due to the low level of torque and Honda might loose one or two boy or girl racers who want the old ‘point and squirt’ habits, but the car has grown up in line with the real-life requirements of the majority of ‘hot-hatch’ drivers.

MILESTONES

Honda Civic Type R GT

Price: £18,600, as tested £20,375

Engine: 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol, DOHC, i-VTEC variable valve timing, 201PS (198bhp) at 7,800rpm, 142lb ft of torque at 5,600rpm

Transmission: front wheel drive with a six-speed close ratio gearbox.

Performance: 146mph, 0-62mph 6.6 seconds, 40.4mpg (31.9mpg actual), CO2 215g/km.

VED: Band F £190.

Insurance group: 17E.

For: Overall a more sophisticated package than the previous Type Rs, fantastic free revving engine, slick transmission, well priced over rivals

Against: Lack of engine torque means lots of gear changing, torsion beam rear suspension not sophisticated enough to cope with the extra performance, rear spoiler and rear/side body shape limits visibility.