ABDC 2018: Honda Civic Type R

2nd place

Why is it here?

Honda’s DC2 Integra Type R broke ground for the fast front-drive genre almost 20 years ago, yet Australia’s first taste of Civic Type R a decade ago failed to live up to the legend.

A proper Type R Honda, then, has been a long time coming. However, impressions since the arrival last year of the 10th-gen Civic-based FK8 Type R suggest it has been worth the wait.

In a major departure for a Type R Honda, the Civic Type R did away with atmospheric induction and screaming revs in favour of turbocharging in its not-for-Oz previous generation.

For the fifth-gen, Honda’s gone out of its way to please traditionalists, refining and developing a linear i-VTEC turbo engine that loves to rev – as well as produce segment-smashing power and torque.

A new Nurburgring record for a front-drive car – 7:43.80 in case you were wondering – signalled that the wild-looking fifth-gen Civic Type R is far more serious proposition than its predecessors.

As Honda starts to rediscover its mainstream mojo, the Civic Type R – and the reborn NSX – illustrate that it certainly hasn’t forgotten how to build a driver’s car.

Initial tests saw the Type R make for the top of the hot hatch hierarchy. It should have the measure of its price-point rivals, then, but what about the big-dollar high-performance establishment?

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What’s under the bonnet?

A direct-injected, single-scroll turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol four cylinder gives the Honda Civic Type R power and torque the envy of the hot-hatch class.

With an electric wastegate allowing a peak of 22.8psi, it produces 228kW at 6500rpm and 400Nm over 2500-4500rpm; the Civic is light by class standards too, which gives it an enviable power-to-weight ratio.

A dual-axis strut front suspension is a key weapon in the Type R’s dynamic arsenal. This design allows some of the benefits of a double A-arm suspension without the expense or complexity.

In short, it provides more favourable geometry, including more initial negative camber and more caster.

Under power, the helical limited-slip differential is equally beneficial, increasing traction and handling capability compared with lesser LSDs (or an open diff).

A dual-pinion variable-ratio electric power steering provides both crisp steering and the ability to adjust steering weighting.

Brembo brakes with four-piston front callipers provide stopping power equal to the accelerative ability.

Three-mode adaptive dampers offer Comfort, Sport and +R settings. The hottest Civic rides surprisingly well, despite its rubber-band-like 245/30R20 Continental SportContact6 tyres.

The stiff body shell, which utilises extensive ultra-high strength steel and the latest manufacturing techniques, is core to the Honda Civic Type R’s cornering keenness and composure.

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How does it perform?

The Honda Civic Type R feels to have the weight distribution and balance of a completely different layout – that of something other than the typical hi-po front-wheel drive.

There is a race-car-like absence of pitch, dive and weight transfer that makes a mockery of even a tight and bumpy C-road such as the thrilling ABDC leg on the C521 between the towns of Whitfield to Mansfield.

You don’t even have to settle the chassis for undulating chicanes – the Type R just points!

Does this sound like a game-changing front-drive? Yep, you read it right.

The driving modes – accessed via a toggle left and rear of the mechanical six-speed’s gear lever – are logical and offer a discrete difference in engine response, steering weight and damper force.

>>Get all the 2018 Australia's Best Driver's Car results here

We liked Sport as an all-rounder setting, because comfort slackens damping to a degree that introduces an unsettled feeling over small amplitude bumps, while R+ adds an artificial glugginess to the steering, which otherwise delivers reasonable feel and well-judged weight in Sport.

You don’t need R+ damping to get the most from the chassis on the road, so high are the chassis’ abilities and the grip threshold.

The turbo 2.0-litre delivers useful torque at 2500rpm but doesn’t get on song until the mid-range, which makes it a delight to rev.

However, while bassy, it’s a bit anodyne in the vocal department – particularly alongside the extroverted i30 N.

With a 7.4sec from zero to 100km/h and a 15.4sec 400m dash it was a virtual match for the Hyundai i30 N – both suffered, as did every contender, due to the difficulty launching on the Wangaratta airstrip surface.

Yet the Honda’s 166km/h terminal speed tells of the power-to-weight advantage over the i30 N, which clocked 156km/h.

The Type R is as quick on track as it is rapid – and great fun – on the road. Its Winton lap time was a standout. Discount the big-buck sports sedans and coupes, and it was the quickest car, trailing the Lexus LC500 by less than a 0.1sec – for a quarter the price.

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Is it worth the asking price?

Almost every way you look at it, the Honda Civic Type R looks like terrific value. Except, perhaps, in comparison with the i30 N.

In this context the extra $11K it takes to buy the Honda is a lot of money – more than 25 per cent of the Hyundai’s purchase price – especially when you consider the i30 N’s all-rounder skillset and five-seat capacity (the Honda, inexplicably, is a four-seater).

The choice here could also come down to whether you want a hot-hatch that looks mild or wild.

In the Honda you’re paying for dynamics that exist in a rarefied realm; circuit speed that can make the driver of the $190K Lexus LC500 sweat while keeping pricey Euro exotica in the crosshairs, with on-road thrill-factor that has you subconsciously summoning the Porsche 911 GT3.

Yep, if elevated performance and driver appeal are priorities – and they certainly are at ABDC – you get plenty for your $50,990.

Importantly, you also get a cabin that, while not Euro rich or atmospheric, shades its immediate rival here. And low-set, brilliant front seats that are far better at gripping their wide-eyed occupants.

With Honda’s adoption of a five-year, unlimited-km warranty, the Type R is on the same page as the Hyundai from a long-term ownership proposition, with a matching 12-month service interval.

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What do the judges think?

The judges raved about the Honda Civic Type R – there were very few bad words said about it. Among the recurring themes were glowing observations of the terrific front seats, lovely chunky yet slick gear-shift action and the near-perfect citing of the driver’s seat in relation to the wheel, pedals and gear lever.

The immense chassis poise, incredible balance, huge turn-in and power-down grip  and the absence of torque steer drew gushing praise, as did the engine’s bottom-end torque, delivery and effectiveness.

What didn’t we like? There’s no spare, only a sealant kit, which we can attest is not ideal away from the city…

Also, it doesn’t sound as good as it goes, there’s no centre-rear seat in what is a roomy hatch and it’s a mature driver’s car dressed as a boy-racer, which might turn away some potential buyers.

Oh, and the infotainment is fiddly and unintuitive … apparently. I was having a blast and too busy to notice.

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2018 Honda Civic Type R pricing and specifications:

Price: $51,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 228kW/400Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 8.8L/100km (ADR Combined), 13.7L/100km (tested)
CO2: 200g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested

2018 Honda Civic Type R performance figures (as tested):

0-100km/h: 7.4sec
0-400m: 15.397sec @ 166.5km/h
Lap time: 1:38.154sec

Related reading:

>> Honda Civic Type R Review