2023 Honda Civic Type R First Look Review: Everybody’s Type

Drawing inspiration from the rather conservative Civic hatchback, the new Honda Civic Type R’s exterior has a less brash design than before. It’s still obviously a performance-oriented model, though, thanks to a beefier body and lightweight wheels wrapped in wider 19-inch tires. There are larger front fender grilles, new side sills, and wider rear doors that are exclusive to the Type R. The grille has a honeycomb mesh design that looks great, but the most aggressive angle is from the rear where the triple exhaust outlets and large rear spoiler compete for one’s attention. As usual, the badging is red in the Type R tradition, and the black wheels have red Brembo calipers behind them.

The Honda Civic Type R’s colors includes the brand’s iconic Championship White. Rallye Red, Boost Blue, Sonic Grey Pearl, and Crystal Black Pearl are also available.

With its unique aerodynamic touches, Honda says that the new Type R is longer, lower, and wider than before. The Honda Civic Type R’s dimensions will probably be only marginally different to those of the standard Civic hatch, however. The standard car has a length of 179 inches, a width of 70.9 inches, a height of 55.7 inches, and a 107.7-inch wheelbase.

The previous Civic Type R weighed just over 3,100 pounds, so unless Honda has been able to dramatically lower the weight of the new one in some way, it shouldn’t be far off this figure.

The 2023 Honda Civic Type R’s engine is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that is said to be both more powerful and responsive than before. Honda hasn’t supplied official specs yet, but the previous Type R made 306 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. Power will go to the front wheels via an improved six-speed manual transmission, something that Honda does particularly well. A rev-matching system is standard, too. We wouldn’t be too disappointed if the outputs stayed more or less the same since the previous Type R did 0-60 mph in around 5.5 seconds. The presumed specs suggest that it will be an exceptionally close battle between this and the GR Corolla (300 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque) which will have a 1.6-liter three-cylinder turbo engine and all-wheel drive.

Despite powering the front wheels only, the new Honda Civic Type R hatchback has already shown itself to be an immensely capable track toy. It posted a 2:23.120 time at the Suzuka circuit, a new FWD record and one that beats the previous Type R Limited Edition.

Previous reports suggested that an automatic gearbox, possibly a dual-clutch, could be available as an option for the new Type R, but Honda made no mention of this when the new Type R was revealed.

The Honda Civic Type R’s interior should be excellent if the base Civic Hatchback is anything to go by. We found the latter’s cabin to be spacious, solidly constructed, and without a steep learning curve. Legroom in the second row is great for a car in this segment. Mercifully, there are still physical controls inside for things like the ventilation system, and the honeycomb strip that conceals the ventilation outlets is a cool touch.

The first thing you notice in the cabin is the abundance of red trim. From the carpets to the seats and stitching, it’s all red. The Honda Civic Type R’s seats are finished in a suede-like upholstery that the company claims grips you tightly in high-G driving scenarios.

Enthusiasts have many extra performance features to play with. There is a new +R driving mode exclusive meter design that includes a graphic engine rpm display and a gear position indicator. The Honda LogR data logger records and displays real-time information on vehicle behavior, and there is a stopwatch to record lap times. You can even share driving videos easily.

The new Honda Civic Hatchback’s trunk space measures a generous 24.5 cubic feet, so the Type R will be practical enough for daily use, too. If you need more cargo space than that, get a CR-V.