64 | AUSTRALIAN NEW CAR & SUV BUYER’S GUIDE
T
he Honda Civic Type R
fi nally returned to Australia
in 2017 after a fi ve-year
absence. There’s one spec
only, priced at an ambitious
$51,990, and you can have any
transmission you like as long
as it’s a six-speed manual.
Under the bonnet, Honda has
introduced turbo power to the
Type R for the fi rst time. The
numbers are respectable (228kW
and 400Nm) for a hot hatch but
they don’t tell the full story.
While most of Honda’s rivals
have more modern twin scroll,
or twin-turbo technology, the
Type R’s 2.0-litre four has
an old-school single-scroll
turbocharger attached to it.
That means not much happens
below 4000rpm, but then all
hell breaks loose at that point
and the chaos continues to the
7000rpm redline.
Honda did this intentionally
because, it says, it’s part of a
Type R’s DNA. That’s fi ne but as
far as real-world driving goes,
a little more fl exibility in the
engine’s power delivery wouldn’t
have gone astray.
The Type R feels astonishingly
quick once the engine’s in “the
zone” but the numbers don’t
stack up to Honda’s claim.
Honda publishes a 0 to
100km/h time of 5.7 seconds.
Using satellite timing equipment,
launch control and Race mode,
the best we saw was a pair
of 6.2-second times in each
direction. And that was on a
perfect surface with good grip at
a race track in Germany.
Second gear runs out at a true
98km/h (versus 102km/h indicated
on the speedometer); the shift to
third then costs valuable fractions
of a second in the industry-
standard sprint to 100km/h.
Despite the hype, this makes
the Civic Type R slower than a
VW Golf GTI and Hyundai i30N —
both of which are a lot cheaper.
Indeed, the Honda is in the same
price bracket as the all-wheel-
drive VW Golf R (4.9 seconds onour timing equipment) so bang
for your bucks it ain’t.
More impressive is the
stopping power: from 100km/h
to zero, the Type R pulled up in
an average of just 33.1m over
four emergency stops. This is
Porsche 911 territory.
Of course, hot hatches are
not all about straight-line
performance. The Type R is
incredibly precise and agile when
it comes to corners.
With the same magnetically
controlled suspension technology
used in Ferraris and Corvettes,
there are three driving modes:
Comfort, Sport and Race.
Sport is the sweet spot.
Despite running 20-inch rims
with super-low-profi le tyres
(Continental 245/30s), the Civic
Type R is compliant over smooth
surfaces and moderate bumps,
but it starts to get uncomfortable
on bumpy pavement. There’s
only so much the superbly snug
sports seats can do to cosset you.Rev-matching technology
makes every gear shift perfect
without having to “heel and toe”
like a race driver.
But the car still requires
concentration. You can feel the
steering wheel wriggle as the front
tyres scramble for grip, especially
in fi rst and second gears, as the
mechanical limited-slip front
differential fi nds traction.
The steering can feel a touch
too sensitive at freeway speeds but
on a race track, it pays dividends.
In Race mode, the car’s refl exes
are amplifi ed. The steering and
throttle inputs are sharper and
the stiffened suspension stands
up better in tight turns.
What the Honda Civic Type
R lacks in perfection and
performance, it makes up for
with personality. For many
buyers, that’s all that matters.
That $50K-plus pricetag hurts its
deal appeal, though.By Joshua Dowlingcompare with ...
VW Golf GTi/R, Hyundai i30N,
Renault Megane RS, Subaru WRX STiTHINGS WE LIKE
Mental turbo performance from
4000rpm
Rev matching makes downshifts
easy and smooth
Incredible stopping power thanks
to grippy tyres and massive brakes
Typically agile Honda handling
Superb sports seats
THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE
Old-school turbo lag
Overpriced
Not as quick as Honda says it is
Rugged ride on bumpy roads
SPEX
Made in England
2.0L turbopetrol four/six-speed
manual/front-wheel drive
228kW of power at 6500rpm/400Nm
of torque from 2500-4500rpm
0-100km/h in 5.7 seconds (claimed)
7.1L/100km highway; 11.7L/100km
city; 95 octane premium; CO2
emissions are 200g/km
Warranty: Five years/unlimited
kilometres
Standard: Six airbags, stability
control, radar cruise, forward
collision warning, automatic
emergency braking, lane keeping,
left lane camera, parking sensors,
rear camera, lap timer, Apple
CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth,
Brembo brakes, adaptive dampers,
20-inch alloys.
Redbook future values: 3yr: 51%;
5yr: 37%HONDA CIVIC TYPE R FROM $51,990
Safety
Not yet tested
PerformanceHandlingQuality and reliabilityComfort and refi nementValue for moneyOverallSTARS