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Article from Autocar.
AutocarFor High-revving VTEC engine, cheaper than main rivals, fine seats and driving position
Against Not that fast, excessive body roll, short on handling finesse, poor rear visibility
1. Background
The hot hatch has always exemplified the variety of nations. The traditional French recipe is to build them thin and light, with a devil-may-care attitude to passive rear-wheel steer. The German way is to build them solid, the Italian way to provide a scene-stealing engine and performance.
The Japanese, as you might expect, major on technology, and the previous Honda Civic Type R summed this up nicely. The widely revered Civic Type R brand was born from a potent mix of circuit, street and virtual racing, a genre-defining 197bhp engine using Hondas VTEC variable valve timing system, and the unstinting use of sophisticated independent suspension like every Civic before it. If it didnt work around Suzuka or Sugo, you got the impression it didnt deserve to be on the car. The prize for Honda was 15 per cent of overall Civic sales wearing the red Type R badge.
Unfortunately for Honda, the current hot hatch party has been raging for a while now, and is stuffed with contenders from virtually every other major player. They think nothing of the old Civics headline-grabbing power output in fact, its seen as a minimum in this class now and their overall standard reflects just how seriously manufacturers are taking this class again.
In the face of this, Honda has found just one extra horse under the bonnet, and traded independent rear suspension for a less sophisticated torsion beam in the name of packaging and no doubt cost. Not the most promising of starts, then.
Of course, the truth isnt quite so straightforward, and its worth remembering that, for all our fond memories, the old Civic was flawed in the areas of steering and refinement. Hondas brief with the new Type R was to retain the raw thrills of old, while making the car easier to live with. Research had shown that the uncompromising nature of the old car was putting off potential customers.
2. Design
The overall Type R experience is still centred on a blaze of revs and lightning-fast gearchanges. Thats the reason, according to Honda, why theres been little change in the drivetrain spec of the Type R.
Were told big turbocharged power outputs ruffle the Zen-like pursuit of handling purity, and familiarity with the likes of the Astra VXR and Mazda 3 MPS suggests theres more than a little truth in that. So what Honda has done is broaden the effectiveness of the motor, with a wider band of VTEC thrills (now stretching from 5400 to over 8000rpm) and a less pronounced step during the changeover of the cam profiles.
This has been achieved by adjusting the ECU software, giving the high-speed cams a more aggressive profile and smoothing the cylinder head intake ports. The air intake manifold now has an airflow resonator to optimise the charge for torque, theres an electronic throttle and a trick lightweight flywheel, and a new balancer unit helps ease the vibrations inherent in a four-cylinder motor.
An impressive-sounding 90 per cent of peak torque is available at just 2500rpm, but then that peak is only 142lb ft at a sky-high 5600rpm. In comparison, a Focus ST cranks out a mighty 236lb ft from down in its boots.
Drive is again fed through a close-ratio six-speed box, with the final drive lowered to combat the 134kg increase in kerbweight, much as Renault did with the Clio 197. For the Type Rs bodyshell, Honda has strengthened the cross member across the floor and the one at the bottom of the engine bay, and reinforced the area around the front suspension turrets. The car sits 15mm lower on its suspension than a regular Civic, with a 20mm wider track. The springs and dampers have been tuned, too.
3. On The Road
Theres real joy in conducting a naturally aspirated engine of this quality. Where other performance engines strain and grit their teeth during the struggle to provide maximum performance, the i-VTEC motor feels happiest when youre driving the trousers off it. Below the cam changeover it sounds as thin as ever, but open it up and it will sing all day long in the thick of its broad power band.
The problem for Honda is the increasing weight of cars in this segment; the Type R weighs 1338kg on our scales. Weight needs torque to get it moving a commodity thats in short supply in the Civic and although theres a noticeably better spread of pulling power at lower revs than in the previous Type R, its hardly a fireball.
Our 0-60mph time of 7.4sec should be viewed in the context of the wet track on which it was recorded, but the 6.6sec time quoted by Honda belies the feel of the car. Unless youre right at the top of the rev range, it never seems that quick.
Take 50-70mph in fourth gear for example. In a Focus ST youll dispatch it in 4.0sec. In the Honda it takes 5.3sec, so youll need to shift to third in search of a 3.7sec time to stay with the Ford.
In some ways, Honda has been its own worst enemy in trying to smooth the engines power delivery. Now that the exaggerated sensation of the 2.0-litre four coming on cam has been diminished, the excitement of accessing the promised land felt in the old car is less.
The gearchange, meanwhile, is now better than ever, with a fabulous flick of the wrist connecting each ratio.
With 300mm ventilated discs on the front wheels, and 260mm solid discs at the rear, youd expect the Type R to stop convincingly, and it does. Better still, theres a well-judged feel to the pedal.
You dont have to drive the Type R far to realise that the biggest failing of the old car its artificial and glutinous power steering has been dramatically improved, too. It is now sensibly weighted and engagingly sporty, if short on genuine feel.
4. Living
This is a more habitable Type R, as Honda promised, with notable compliance in the way it rides at low speeds. You still feel the bumps and holes in the road surface, but theres enough elasticity that they rarely thump too harshly into the cabin. Although this ability continues as the speeds rise, theres quite a lot of body movement that goes unchecked, as if the springs and dampers arent quite working in tune.
Theres no escaping the fact that the Civic lacks the chassis sophistication you find in rivals like the Focus ST and Golf GTi, which is another way of saying what weve feared all along: the switch to a torsion beam rear end has had a detrimental effect.
You turn the wheel and the car follows your chosen path resolutely and with plenty of outright grip, but the sensation is of the back obediently following the front rather than working to induce some mild oversteer to help turn the car in. On a circuit, you can use the brakes on turn-in to adjust the attitude of the car, but on the public road this is less of an option, so the car doesnt feel as alive to the driver as some rivals.
You'll either love or hate the exterior design, but we think it looks suitably sporting. In the cabin, the Type R additions are well judged. The sports seats are superb, the steering wheel strikes the right tone, and there are drilled alloy pedals and a metal-finish R gear knob.
Our concerns lie with attributes inherited from the standard Civic. Visibility is poor, with obstructive A-pillars and limited over-the-shoulder sight lines, while the view aft is severely restricted by the wing that bisects the rear window.
The Type R is one of the cheaper hot hatches, but its not the bargain its sub-£17k predecessor was. The GT model tested here, with fog lights, curtain airbags, auto lights and climate control, is £18,600 (a Focus ST2 is £18,795). At least the Type R should continue to have strong residuals, and it should prove far less thirsty than the Focus.
5. Verdict
On the right road, when youre in the mood, theres much to like about the latest Civic Type R. Once youre rowing through the gears and listening to that remarkable engine, youd forgive it a lot. But this is still a disappointing car overall, with a chassis that is exposed by the retrograde rear suspension. Like the manic Astra VXR, the Type R will have its fans, but we arent among them.
Data: (most data is taken from their latest magazine, which isn't listed on their website)
How much?
* Price when new: £16,975
* Price as tested: £20,000
How fast?
* 0-30mph: 2.9s
* 0-60mph: 7.4s
* 0-100mph: 18.4s
* 30-50mph in 3rd/4th: 3.8/5.0s
* 40-60mph in 4th/5th: 5.2/6.7s
* 50-70mph in 5th: 7.1s
* Noise at 70mph: 70dbA
How thirsty?
* Test average: 26.1mpg
* Test best/worst: 29.4/11.8mpg
Government figures
* Combined/urban: 42.8 / 33.6 mpg
* CO2 emissions: 156 g/km
How big?
* Length: 4250 mm
* Width: 1765 mm
* Height: 1460 mm
* Wheelbase: 2685 mm
* Weight : 1284 kg
* Fuel tank: 50.0 litres
Engine
* Layout: 4cyl in line, 1998cc
* Max power: 198 bhp at 7800rpm
* Max torque: 142 lb ft at 5600rpm
* Specific: 99bhp per litre
* Power to weight: 156bhp per tonne
* Installation: Front, transverse
* Bore/stoke: 86.0/86.0mm
* Compression ratio: 11.0:1
* Valve gear: 4 per cyl, dohc
* Ignition and fuel: Unleaded
Gearbox
* Type: 6-speed Manual
* 1st: 37mph 8300rpm
* 2nd: 57mph 8300rpm
* 3rd: 81mph 8300rpm
* 4th: 107mph 8300rpm
* 5th: 133mph 8300rpm
* 6th: 140mph 7000rpm
* Final drive: 3.583
Suspension
* Front: MacPherson strut, anti-roll bar, coil springs
* Rear: Torsion beam axle configuration. High response mono tube dampers, with independent coil springs. Anti roll bar
Steering
* Type: Rack and pinion
* Lock to lock: 2.42
Brakes
* Front: ventilated
* Rear: solid disks
Wheel & tyres
* Made of: Alloy
* Tyres front: 225/40 ZR18
* Tyres rear: 225/40 ZR18
BWAHAHAAHAHAHA! it's finally starting to show it's age, like Golf.. old, fat man with raybans, trying to look cool but failing miserably..
(at least with the civic, I love the NSX-
) with 180hp or above on sale today, hence there still being true hot hatches on sale.
