Honda has launched a redesigned Civic Si for 2022, and the stylish sports sedan shows that you don’t need to spend a fortune for a fast, fun ride.
However, the 200-hp Si isn’t the end of the performance road for the Civic. That honor goes to the Type R hot hatch, a new generation of which arrives in 2022 as a 2023 model.
Prototypes for the redesigned Civic Type R have been testing in public for more than a year, including at Germany’s Nürburgring racetrack. On Thursday, Honda provided a look at some of the car’s development, this time at Suzuka International Racing Course.
2023 Honda Civic Type R prototype testing at Suzuka International Racing Course
More commonly known as Suzuka Circuit, the racetrack is home to the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix, but its original purpose was as a test track for Honda. It’s fitting then that the Civic Type R is being tested at the track which happens to feature a layout in the form of a figure eight.
The outgoing Civic Type R, the fifth generation of the nameplate, is a favorite here at Motor Authority, and Honda says performance will be improved for the redesigned model.
What we know is that the latest Civic family, introduced for the 2022 model year, benefits from a more rigid platform compared to its predecessor, and this should aid the new Type R especially. We’re talking 8% better torsional rigidity and 13% better bending rigidity.
2022 Honda Civic Si
The interior of the latest Civic family (Si interior shown above) has also seen a major step up in technology and refinement. Digital screens are used for the gauge cluster (a partial digital screen is standard and a full digital screen is available on higher-line models) and infotainment, and also included as standard are wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
It isn’t clear what drivetrain mods are planned for the Type R but expect a version of the outgoing model’s 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 to be nestled under the hood, possibly with more than the present 306 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. A 6-speed manual and front-wheel drive will likely be standard.
Production of the Type R will be handled in the U.S. for the first time. It will be built at the same Greensburg, Indiana, plant where regular Civic Hatchbacks are already rolling off the line.