The 2023 Honda Civic Type R has officially landed on Australian shores and while it comes at a significant premium over its predecessor, it has already proven itself to be a hugely capable performance car in overseas markets. Powering the latest and greatest Civic Type R conceived to date is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that pumps out 315 hp and 420 Nm of torque. This engine features a lightweight die-cast aluminum block with reinforced main bearing caps. It also has a super lightweight forged-steel crankshaft and pistons cooled by oil jets as well as an improved i-VTEC system that continuously adjusts the intake and exhaust camshaft phase.
Mated exclusively to this engine is a six-speed
manual transmission with an automatic rev-matching feature and sending power
through the front wheels. Helping to put the power to the ground effectively is
a helical-type limited-slip differential. Sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires
measuring 265/30 R19 at all four corners also come standard, as do forged
wheels.
Aussie shoppers can order the new Civic
Type R in either Rally Red, Crystal Black, Championship White, or Sonic Grey.
The interior is less configurable and all examples come complete with red seats
and carpets, as well as a red Honda badge on the steering wheel, a Type R plate
on the dashboard, and a lovely aluminum shift knob. The hot hatch also comes
standard with a 9-inch infotainment display with Android Auto, wireless Apple
CarPlay, BlueBooth, satellite navigation, USB connectivity, and a data logger.
Just a single trim level of the Civic Type R is available. Key features include
a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, traffic sign recognition system,
intelligent speed limiter, driver attention monitor, an acoustic windshield,
and auto-retractable door mirrors.
The 2023 Honda Civic Type R is priced from
AU$ 72,600 (US$ 48,387) drive away. That puts it at a significant premium over the AU$ 50,825 (US$ 33,874) Hyundai i30 N, the AU$ 61,375 (US$ 40,906) VW Golf GTI, and the
Toyota GR Corolla that starts at AU$ 62,300 (US$ 41,522) before on-road costs or
approximately AU$ 68,000 (US$ 45,322) drive away.
