2023 Honda Civic Type R arrives as the most powerful Type R ever

KUALA LUMPUR: Honda unveiled the eleventh-gen Civic in April 2021, and since then enthusiasts have been waiting for the new Civic Type R based on the same. Well, the wait is over now as the Japanese automaker has pulled the wraps off the all-new 2023 Honda Civic Type R. The new version is touted as the most powerful model in Type R's glorious 30-year history. 

Engineered from the ground up, the latest hot hatch gets several exterior and interior updates and promises more horsepower, improved handling and faster acceleration.

The new Honda Civic Type R is longer, lower and wider than its predecessor and features a  muscular yet sleek and powerful aerodynamic design. It integrates advanced aerodynamics to achieve well-balanced downforce and reduced drag. The key exterior highlights are - 

• A new more aggressive front bumper with a sporty honeycomb grille mesh
• Brawny fenders with over lightweight wheels wrapped in wider tyres
• Larger front fender grilles
• A new side sill design behind the front wheels for better airflow efficiency
• Wider rear doors exclusive to Type R
• A new rear spoiler
• A redesigned rear bumper paired with three round exhaust outlets and a new rear diffuser

Included in the new Civic Type R colour options are Historic Championship White, Rallye Red, Crystal Black Pearl, Boost Blue, and Sonic Grey Pearl.

Under the hood, the new Civic Type R is equipped with an upgraded version of the previous 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. While the automaker has not revealed the power figures, it confirms the revised turbocharger and new compact housing of the uprated engine make it the strongest VTEC turbo in Type R history.

As for transmitting the power to the front wheels, the engine is paired with an improved six-speed manual transmission.

Furthermore, the mechanical upgrades and improved aerodynamics promises an improved power-to-weight ratio, torque, as well as top speed. Prior to the unveiling, Honda emphasised the improved performance of the new Civic Type R and revealed that the hot hatch made a new lap record by rounding the 3.6 Km Suzuka circuit in 2 minutes and 23 seconds. It is 0.873 sec faster than the earlier record made by the Type R GT Limited Edition.

Inside, we can observe a new cabin layout with a 10.2-inch touchscreen, a digital instrument cluster, red suede-effect upholstery, Type R sports seats, and an iconic red Honda badge on the steering wheel. 

More details on the 2023 Honda Civic Type R are expected to be announced closer to the launch later this year.

Also read: 2022 Honda HR-V: Here's how you can accessorise Honda's latest SUV