2023 Honda Civic Type R grows larger, smarter, and faster

The Honda Civic Type R is among the hottest of the hot hatches. It just got hotter.

On Wednesday, Honda revealed the 2023 Honda Civic Type R in Los Angeles, marking the debut of the second Type R to ever come to America. It’s the sixth-generation of the front-drive hatchback and it’s based on the 11th-generation Civic.

More power, we are told

Honda says the new Civic Type R will be the most powerful to date. A 2.0-liter turbo-4 will spin the front wheels, but exactly how much power it will make hasn’t been disclosed yet. The outgoing Type R had 306 hp.

The suspension and steering get enhancements as well, according to Honda, but exactly what they are also hasn’t been disclosed.

The Type R will be once again be available exclusively with a 6-speed manual transmission with downshift rev matching. Again, Honda said the transmission is upgraded, but didn’t share how.

The 2023 Civic Type R rides on lightweight 19-inch wheels wrapped in 265/30R19 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. Brembo brake rotors will be used up front, but we don’t yet know the size or how many pistons the calipers will have. 

Honda will fill in much or all of this information closer to the Type R’s launch later this year.

Bigger and more grown up

The 2023 Honda Civic Type R is longer, lower, and wider, and the design is more mature. The body kit takes on a more understated look, and every body panel, except for the front doors, pillars, roof, and rear hatch, is new and specific to the Type R.

Compared to other Civics, the front bumpers gets a large, integrated lip spoiler. The fenders are wider to accommodate the wider tires, and even the rear doors are wider to ensure they meet the wider rear fenders.

Out back, a large wing has been bolted to the hatch and it looks more race car than boy racer for this generation. The rear bumper features a center-mounted exhaust system with three tailpipes. The outer two tailpipes are the main exhaust outlets, and the larger diameter center pipe has an active valve to change the sound.

Honda incorporates functional aerodynamic elements as well, including a heat extractor on the hood and vents on the front bumper that allow air to flow into the front fenders, but the vents on the rear bumper are fake.

Hope you like red

Every Type R gets red cloth seats, red carpeting, and red door trim accents. The Type R-exclusive front seats are high-back buckets with heavy bolstering. The seat backs have holes that appear to be meant to accommodate racing harnesses, but we see no mounting points for those harnesses. Continuing a Honda sports car tradition, the shift knob is turned aluminum, which gets hot or cold to the touch depending on the ambient temperature.

The Civic Si’s Comfort, Sport, and Individual driving modes will gain a +R mode. In +R, the digital gauge cluster gets a hockey stick-style tachometer with shift lights, but Honda hasn’t said if +R will also change any dynamic settings.

Honda mounts a 9.0-inch infotainment touchscreen to the center of the dash. It features a new Honda LogR data logger system that lets drivers record lap times, check g forces both for the whole car and at each wheel, and monitor system temperatures.

The Type R is a ride made for only four. The Civic’s center rear seat belt has been removed, and a pair of cupholders have been added in place of the center seating position.

Every Type R will have a dash plaque with that car’s build number. It’s now mounted on the passenger side of the dashboard rather than on the center console.

Wireless smartphone charging and a Bose audio system will come standard, as will a good set of safety features: automatic emergency braking, active lane control, and adaptive cruise control.

Check back later this year for the full specs of the sixth-generation Civic Type R.