First Drive: Honda Civic Type R 2023 Review

In this day and age launching a new performance car powered purely by an internal combustion engine, and available exclusively with a six-speed manual gearbox, feels properly out there. But the Civic Type R has always done things its own way. From the naturally-aspirated screamers of its first three generations, through to the two turbocharged thugs preceding this new one, each Type R has challenged accepted wisdom – or tastes – by one means or another. Not least the last one, thanks to styling that appeared to shout ‘hold my beer’ after a long night browsing early noughties back issues of Max Power. Whatever you thought of the looks, the quality of the car underneath was never in doubt, though, the hunger to bag front-driven lap records from Suzuka to the ‘ring and back, reflecting Honda’s determination to deliver the fastest, most focused driving experience in the hot-hatch pack. Now the Megane R.S. has left the stage, Ford’s Focus ST fades from view and the tastes of hot hatch buyers seem to be moving upmarket into luxurious, all-wheel drive premium models from the big German players Honda has clearly decided this final roll of the Type R dice needs to be pretty special. Is it, though? 

Aesthetically anything this side of the previous generation’s confrontational styling was going to look conservative in comparison, and it’s something of a relief that Honda has conceded that social acceptability matters nearly as much as lap times and 0-62 sprints. Careful what you wish for but could this new Type R have gone too far the other way? OK, there’s a massive wing on the back, and it delivers proper downforce. But the way it’s bolted to the boot lid suggests at best afterthought or, at worst, aftermarket. It’s neither of course and contributes to 90kg of proper downforce at 124mph as part of a thoroughly considered aero package. But first impressions still count, and it jars with the otherwise smooth lines. The rest is better, the significantly widened front track contained within broad-shouldered arches, functional vents on the trailing edges extracting high-pressure air from within and filled by gorgeous BBS-sourced wheels. Brake ducts in the front apron channel cooling air over the two-part front discs, there’s a slim vent on the bonnet while the quirky triple-exit exhaust of the previous car is carried over and stands out for being the real thing, rather than the bumper-mounted trim elements seen on most rivals. Which rather underlines the sense that if there’s something on this car it’s there for a reason.

The looks may have mellowed but the new FL5 Type R is just as hardcore underneath as its FK2 and FK8 predecessors. Mainly because it’s evolution, not revolution. No bad thing there, given this means a six-speed manual gearbox putting the power to the road through a limited-slip differential and front struts with off-set steering axis knuckles to help minimise torque steer. Others including the previous Focus RS and Megane R.S. have used variations on this theme. The investment in expensive hardware like this is what sets serious cars like the Type R apart from the likes of more mainstream hot hatches like the Golf GTI. Track, tyre width and wheelbase are up from the previous generation, the adaptive dampers have been upgraded along with the suspension components and the brakes’ resilience to extended track pounding improved. The engine is an evolution of the turbocharged 2.0-litre from the FK2 and FK8, now with 329PS (242kW) and with a new, faster-reacting turbo, reduced back pressure and lighter flywheel to hopefully address the between-shift ‘rev hang’ that was the only real complaint previously. All of which sounds great, but was pretty much impossible to evaluate as we aquaplaned from one corner to the next on a rain-soaked Estoril. Good job we hung around and insisted on another go on a (slightly) drier track later.

At just 2.1 turns lock to lock the steering is Ferrari fast but, even with large patches of standing water still present, it’s clear the Type R has plenty of front end to lean on, the back end following with a gentle rotation that’s predictable and easier to exploit than the madly oversteering four-wheel steer Megane. In +R mode modulating wheelspin out of the corner was tricky on wet tarmac, a mellower throttle map in a carefully considered, wet-optimised combination of driver settings in the new Individual mode, making it easier to lean on the natural traction of the diff-enhanced power delivery. The already brilliant gearbox is even better as well, the shifts all a wrist-flick in throw while the response of the engine makes blipping your own shifts far preferable to using the rev-matching system. Credit to Honda for the option to turn it off, too. That rev hang is still an issue on full-bore upshifts, meaning you have to come off the throttle a fraction before dropping the clutch to avoid an embarrassing flare of revs. But it’s much easier to acclimatise to than before. On the road even in Comfort mode (all things relative) the Type R never hides its hardcore aspirations, the low-speed brittleness and constantly raucous engine likely to confirm the worst assumptions of snobbier premium hot hatch owners. That’s fine, and the faithful will be reassured the Type R hasn’t gone soft. 

The Type R’s exterior styling may have changed a lot over the six generations it’s been on sale but inside it’s business as usual, which means lashings of contrasting red trim on seats, carpets and the Honda logo sitting proudly on the centre of the synthetic suede lined steering wheel. The brushed metal shift knob and the slick gate through which it moves are another constant, ditto the perfect driving position and spacing between the pedals. A familiar pleasure for anyone versed in Japanese performance cars over the years, the fact such a driver-focused set-up stands out as something special in this day and age is a sad reminder of how low most cars put this on their list of priorities. Beyond that, it’s per the regular Civic and no worse for it thanks to the neat dash and its joystick-controlled vents. The only other quirk is the replacement of the regular three-seat rear bench with a (presumably lighter) two-seat version with cup holders in place of the middle cushion and no central headrest.

Over and above all the usual (and, in this context, annoying) bonging and chiming of the various driver ‘aids’ from the regular Civic there is a ton of Type R-specific content included in both the digital instruments and the central screen. The latter is somewhat small and basic feeling compared with the fancy systems from the likes of BMW and Mercedes but has tons of functionality, including a screen of digital gauges reminiscent of that from the R34-generation Nissan Skyline. Which, it’s worth remembering, was created with 'life imitating art' input from the team at Gran Turismo back in the day. The Civic takes this idea and runs with it, game-ifying the telemetry and data from your track sessions into hints to help you push harder and scored lap timing. What could possibly…

With its £47,000 starting price, the cars this Type R competes against are, notably, all from German premium brands and feature fancy interiors, automatic gearboxes and all-wheel drive. The Civic, notably, has none of these, and you’re not going to win many pub arguments with those who favour soft-touch interior plastics over mechanical locking differentials or appreciate why the Civic’s c. 200kg weight advantage over most rivals makes such a difference. More problematic is that the Hyundai i30 N it most closely matches in character and target audience is over £12,000 cheaper upfront, or £162 per month less on a PCP equivalent to the one Honda showed us in the launch presentation. OK, the Honda is a tad faster, perhaps more expensively engineered and taps into a longer heritage. But if you drove the Civic back to back with the Hyundai you’d be hard-pressed to justify the return on that considerable extra investment. So goes the rational appraisal. At a more emotional one, this is a Type R to be celebrated for the fact it drives in a manner that’s just as hardcore as its wild-looking predecessor but without the need to park it round the corner for fear of anyone seeing you at the wheel. For that, and the predictable conclusion we won’t be seeing its like again, this is a Type R to be celebrated, and enjoyed properly.