Photo: Honda
Redesigned for the 2020 model year, the Civic Type R is – without a shadow of a doubt – the best hot hatchback currently available to order in the United States. The four-cylinder turbo blunderbuss features the same 306 horsepower and 295 pound-feet as ever before, driving the front wheels with the help of a six-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential.
So what’s new? Well, let’s start off with Active Sound Control. As the name implies, software emulates induction and exhaust sounds in order to make the VTEC Turbo sound better. The aggressiveness is dependent on the drive mode, so yeah, we’re dealing with artificial sound.
Alcantara on the steering wheel is also worthy of mention, along with a different shifter and knob, the Honda Sensing suite of safety and driver-assistive technologies, two-piece brake rotors, and updated dampers. While on the subject of chassis bits and bobs, the rear bushings are stiffer and Honda has also made revisions to the front suspension system.
Even the steering has been modified for “better feel” according to the Japanese automaker, and more importantly, Honda has improved the engine’s cooling. The 2020 model year is going on sale at North American dealerships this coming winter with a new color option for the exterior – the pictured Boost Blue - and for the time being, the starting price isn’t available.
The CTR kicks off at $36,300 for the 2019 model year, achieving up to 28 miles to the gallon out on the highway and 22 in the city. The closest competitors to the Civic Type R are the MINI JCW at $31,900, Subaru WRX STI at $36,595, and Volkswagen Golf R at $41,495. Honda doesn’t offer an all-wheel-drive option, which is a little bit of a bummer given that the Scoobie and Vee-Dub are running rings around the Civic Type R in the twisties.
While we’re waiting for the 2020 model year to show up in showrooms, we’re still wondering who in the design department gave his blessing for those fake plastic vents on the rear bumper. It’s like they were bought from Pep Boys, not designed by one of the world’s leading automakers.
Alcantara on the steering wheel is also worthy of mention, along with a different shifter and knob, the Honda Sensing suite of safety and driver-assistive technologies, two-piece brake rotors, and updated dampers. While on the subject of chassis bits and bobs, the rear bushings are stiffer and Honda has also made revisions to the front suspension system.
Even the steering has been modified for “better feel” according to the Japanese automaker, and more importantly, Honda has improved the engine’s cooling. The 2020 model year is going on sale at North American dealerships this coming winter with a new color option for the exterior – the pictured Boost Blue - and for the time being, the starting price isn’t available.
The CTR kicks off at $36,300 for the 2019 model year, achieving up to 28 miles to the gallon out on the highway and 22 in the city. The closest competitors to the Civic Type R are the MINI JCW at $31,900, Subaru WRX STI at $36,595, and Volkswagen Golf R at $41,495. Honda doesn’t offer an all-wheel-drive option, which is a little bit of a bummer given that the Scoobie and Vee-Dub are running rings around the Civic Type R in the twisties.
While we’re waiting for the 2020 model year to show up in showrooms, we’re still wondering who in the design department gave his blessing for those fake plastic vents on the rear bumper. It’s like they were bought from Pep Boys, not designed by one of the world’s leading automakers.
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