2023 Honda Civic Type R new car review

This car sets a new benchmark for small performance cars with potent ability that none in its price range can match.

In the age of generic SUVs and mega utes this small car has character and potent performance that none can match for the price.

The Honda is the best small performance car.

It’s not very sensible

Those of us old enough to remember Honda’s Integra, Prelude and NSX often lament how sensible the brand has become since the arrival of the SUV phenomenon. Spurred on by the success of the very clever and practical CR-V and Odyssey, the company has focused most of its efforts on producing reliable, well-built family vehicles. But thankfully there are still a bunch of crazy petrolheads buried away in the bowels of the brand’s Tokyo headquarters who are allowed to roam free, create mayhem and keep the Type-R dream alive. Their latest effort, based on the excellent bones of the standard Civic, is a simply breathtaking, ballistic hot hatch that once again sets the benchmark for (relatively) affordable performance.

The styling has been toned down compared to previous versions.

The new design is less aesthetically challenging

The previous Honda Civic looked like something that had jumped off the page of a Manga magazine – all sharp creases, exaggerated styling and wild, oversized appendages. The new model is an exercise in restraint by the designers – smooth lines, classic proportions and subtle performance cues, until your eye wanders to that massive rear spoiler. The wheels look like black spider webs, giving passers by a clear view of the big red Brembo calipers.

The manual gearbox has a sweet shifter.

The interior isn’t as restrained

If the exterior design is more conservative than before, the interior remains loud and proud. Heavily bolstered, single-piece red cloth seats hug you tightly and match the carpet, the aluminium gear shifter feels great in the hands and a suede sports steering wheel reinforces the car’s performance focus. Call me soft, but I’d prefer leather. The rest of the cabin is pretty much standard fare, although the digital driver display adds a touch of theatre. It can be configured to look like a conventional instrument panel, with speedo and tacho, or you can switch to a Gran Turismo style set-up that displays throttle and brake application as well as g-forces. There’s also a race car-style horizontal shift light indicator.

The Type R is an engineering marvel.

The engineers nailed their brief – again

While design is often a matter of personal taste, engineering is a more precise discipline.

And Honda engineers have taken precision to a new level with the Civic Type R. Every element of the driving experience has been honed to produce maximum enjoyment. The turbocharged 2.0-litre four cylinder, which puts out 235kW and 420Nm, feels muscular off the mark and surprisingly free-revving for a force-fed engine. Honda’s done an excellent job of taming those prodigious outputs through the front wheels, but a degree of care is still needed when accelerating out of tight corners. Honda hasn’t forgotten that stopping in a hurry is a necessary part of driving a performance car at the limit. Repeated applications can’t blunt the performance of the brakes and the reassurance of the pedal feel, while the massive Michelin Pilot tyres also help to keep things tidy, delivering physics-defying grip through the bends. Sharp accurate steering builds confidence, while the precise action of the gearshifter adds to the enjoyment.

You’re not buying cheap thrills

New-car prices have soared over the past couple of years and the Type R isn’t immune. If you want a new one it will set you back $72,600 drive-away. The good news is the price is the same across the Honda dealer network. The bad news is that if you want one in a hurry, you’re probably looking at about $80,000 for a low kilometre “demo”. Honda has come to the party by securing an additional 500 Type Rs for the Australian market and says estimated waiting times are down to nine months. It’s well worth the wait if you have that sort of cash.

Originally published as 2023 Honda Civic Type R new car review