Snapshot:
Assets
Fast, good steering feel, great fun to drive, relatively subtle styling
Against
It's not the hardcore option it was; irritating split rear tailgate glass and poor rearward visibility
Verdict
Hot hatch masochists and keen track dayers might be disappointed with Honda's decision to make this Type-R a little easier to live with. For the rest of us, however, it's a very welcome development.
Introduction:
The Honda Civic Type-R: an uncompromising hot hatch with great performance, right? But one that is hard-riding, noisy and not particularly inspiring until you rev it up to nearly 7,500rpm? Wrong.
That may have been true for the first-generation model, but Honda has listened carefully to feedback from its customers and this time around, the Type-R's going to be considerably easier to live with on a day-to-day basis.
Honda is at pains to insist that this doesn't mean the Type-R's gone soft, though. Performance has not been watered down: 0-60mph still comes up in 6.6 seconds and top speed is a pretty healthy 146mph, should you have access to a track or an airstrip to fully test this out. It's also actually more rewarding at lower engine speeds: since the maximum torque of 142lb-ft now peaks at 5,600rpm, rather than at 6,500rpm, in-gear acceleration has been improved, and you can make swift progress without having to set the engine screaming. Well, not quite so loudly, anyway.
The Civic Type-R comes in three-door form only, with a choice of standard or GT specification levels: the GT pack adds front fog lights, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, side curtain airbags, a lockable glovebox, power-folding door mirrors and automatic headlights. Prices will start from 17,600, with the GT at 18,600 when deliveries begin 1 March.
Reliability and Quality
Honda consistently scores very well indeed in reliability and quality surveys, the lack of any serious complaints about the last-generation model bearing this out.
This latest-generation Civic - built in Swindon - is doing well so far, too, with only a couple of reports of minor problems with fit and finish of tailgate glass and headlamp lenses - early-build glitches that should be sorted by now. Honda also claims that there are no known cases of failure of its VTEC engines.
The worst thing likely to happen is that more demanding drivers may well get through tyres and brake pads quickly, but that's par for the course with a hot hatch.
Image
The Type-R is relatively subtle, with only a few logos on its exterior, small side skirt spoilers, deeper front spoiler with air intakes, a black mesh grille and a red 'H' badge to mark it out from the mainstream three-door Civics.
GT models add more noticeable triangular front fog lamps, large triangular exhaust tailpipes and a more overt rear spoiler - but even they're not overwhelmingly boy-racer. Of course, it does depend on the paint colour you choose - the bright red's a bit flashy - but generally, the Type-R is discreetly sported-up.
Driving
Although the Type-R has an electrically assisted power steering system (specifically tuned and applied to a quicker-ratio steering rack than in other Civics), it is direct and intuitive. Honda has managed to avoid the artificially-weighted feel so many such systems have; it does not suddenly lighten up, nor does it give the occasional sensation that you're losing touch with the front wheels.
There's no tendency to torque-steer - thanks to the smooth, naturally-aspirated power delivery as well as the steering itself - and no nose-heavy impression, as in some of its turbocharged, heavier-weight competitors.
At 1,267kg, the Type-R feels considerably lighter and more agile than many of its rivals, such as the Golf GTI (1,328kg), Ford Focus ST (1,317kg), Vauxhall Astra VXR (1,393kg) or Seat Leon Cupra (a positively lardy 1,400kg). It's not exactly an ultra-lightweight in the vein of the old Peugeot 306 GTI-6, for example, but by modern-day standards, it's about as near as you can get in a volume-production model-range.
Unusually, the Type-R has torsion-beam rear suspension instead of an independent layout; Honda claims this allows for more boot space and better stability when cornering. The Type-R rides 15mm lower than the mainstream Civics, with its rear track (distance between the two rear wheels) 20mm wider than the five-door's, and it has also received extra stiffening of its underside, front suspension and steering box mountings.
But talking of the mainstream model range... The same things irritate in the Type-R as in the lesser-powered Civics. The split-level rear tailgate glass, which has a peculiar distorting effect, does nothing to aid rearward visibility, and is hindered still further by the lack of a rear wash-wipe, the GT's large spoiler and the body-hugging sports seats, which make turning around to look behind even more difficult.
Performance
The Civic Type-R may not have on-paper power output figures to top its class - it's 40bhp down on the Astra VXR and Leon Cupra - but, with its light weight, its 0-60mph acceleration time is competitive.
With the VTEC variable-valve and camshaft timing technology now kicking in earlier down the rev range, and more smoothly, the engine feels more flexible, and it's altogether more driveable at lower engine speeds. In the old Type-R, you may as well have been driving a base-model 1.3 until 7,000rpm, which meant for a pretty dull drive in most normal road conditions unless you redlined it, but this car feels more special for day-to-day driving, with less effort. And when you want to unleash the full screaming, race-engine effect, the option's still there - the full 198bhp peaks at 7,800rpm (400rpm higher than before), so you can wind it right up before the 8,000rpm limit. It's a far more versatile all-round set-up.
Other improvements to the power delivery, and the way it's transmitted to the wheels, include a new electronic drive-by-wire throttle and a shorter-throw gear lever for the six-speed manual 'box. The sixth gear final-drive ratio has been lowered a little, to ensure that the Type-R just keeps on a-comin'.
Safety & Security
The Civic has achieved a meritable, though not outstanding, four stars for overall occupant safety in the Euro NCAP crash tests, with four for child protection and three (out of four) for pedestrian protection. Front and side airbags are standard-fit, but we'd really recommend paying the extra 1,000 for the GT specification, which includes head-protecting full-length 'curtain' airbags. There are front seatbelt pre-tensioners and Isofix child seat mounting points, but only four three-point seatbelts, two up front and two on each side in the back. Then again, you'd be hard-pressed to fit a third person in the back, anyway.
There's also the usual ABS, brakeforce distribution and VSA stability control, the latter specifically tuned for the Type-R to allow drivers to play a bit more before the electronics intervene. The VSA can be switched off via a dashboard button.
Security-wise, there's remote central locking with deadlocks, the usual immobiliser and a Thatcham Category 1 alarm, though only GT models have a lockable glovebox
Running Costs
For a hot hatch of this power, not bad. It's not really going to make sense as a company car - not with carbon dioxide emissions of 215g/km, incurring hefty tax penalties - but private buyers will, at least, find the 31mpg reasonably manageable.
Insurance is going to be expensive - Group 16E for the standard model and 17E for the GT - but cheap(ish) compared to, say, an Impreza WRX or an Evo.
There's good news on the residual value front, though: industry analysts predict the Type-R GT will return 50% of its value after three years/60,000 miles, making it a better long-term investment than the Golf GTI or Focus ST.
Comfort & Equipment
This Type-R will be considerably easier to live with than its predecessor. You could happily set off on a long-distance motorway trip without packing ear-plugs or booking an appointment with a chiropractor.
Engine tweaks - a revised air filter box, air flow meter and intake manifold
- have reduced noise levels and made the trademark VTEC howl a little less painful over sustained periods. The revised suspension, new engine mountings, new front sub-frame design and improved sound-proofing all round have also improved general refinement no end. No longer does the Type-R crash in and out of potholes, either; it copes much better with poorly-surfaced British roads. Generally, it's less tiring to spend time in.
The sports seats are comfortable and well-shaped, and not too narrow for the wider-hipped. The wraparound shoulder/neck design does hinder you turning too far round, though. The rear seats aren't particularly large - the central seat, with lap belt, is really only for occasional 'emergency' use only - but the boot's not bad and, despite the low rear roofline, the cabin feels relatively roomy and airy with its large glass rear window and flat floor. It's all appropriately finished off with black/red two-tone upholstery and a red Honda badge on the steering wheel.
We're not quite sure why Honda is offering the standard model at all; this does without air conditioning, side curtain airbags and front fog lights, as well as the rear spoiler, cruise control, lockable glovebox, power-folding door mirrors and automatic headlights, yet only saves 1,000 and will be worth less at resale time.
It's a no-brainer that you'll want the GT. This, happily, comes with all the expected essentials, including keyless ignition and a nice red Start button, though in keeping with the Type-R's image as a focused sports car, it doesn't have satellite navigation. That's an extra option, along with Bluetooth phone kit. Plenty to look at on the dashboard, though, with a high-tech red-lit instrument and gauge display, and a VTEC indicator that glows when you reach 5,400rpm.
