Honda Civic Type R 2007 Review

Road Test

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So-called 'hot' hatches are almost a dime a dozen these days with virtually every manufacturer active in the small car segment having a range-topping sports model that is usually blown, occasionally all-wheel drive and always intended as a model to catch buyers' interest before they settle for the bread and butter hatchback runabout that they need rather than want.

But when Honda finally announced that it was going to import the Civic Type R at last year's Sydney motor show -- after much hoo-ing and haa-ing and endless speculation on the part of the motoring media -- there was possibly a greater than usual level of anticipation. For although Honda has a rich tradition of building small cars with plenty of fun factor, in recent times, true sports options have been pretty thin on the ground. The last car to wear the race-bred Type R badge was the Integra which slipped off production and sales lists back in 2004 and Honda hasn't had a Civic hatchback -- sports or otherwise -- in its lineup since 2005.

This is actually the third-generation Type R Civic though none have made it to Oz before as they were produced largely for Europe in the UK. With the high relative cost of cars coming from the Old Dart, Honda Australia had to think (and haggle) long and hard before it took the plunge.

And while it has now done so, it is the sticker price that first and foremost marks its UK origins. At $39,990, the Civic Type R is at the top end of the hot hatch brigade being $1500 more than the equivalent people's favourite VW Golf GTI, matching Subaru's WRX and only just undercutting HSV's Astra-based VXR.

Like the HSV, however, the Civic is a car that very proudly wears its heart on its sleeve, and while most other hot hatches' exterior design possibly err on the side of caution, the Civic screams its performance credentials from the word go.

With a unique, sharply wedged profile that sits low on 18-inch alloys wrapped with very thin 225/40 rubber and a none-too subtle body kit including a lowered front apron, side skirts and big rear wing, the hot Civic creates a very aggressive and purposeful visage. It's all sharp angles and geometric shapes that give it an almost futuristic aesthetic.

Open the driver's door and slip into the body-hugging racing-style Alcantara covered driver's seat and the sports details continue with a three-spoke wheel, drilled alloy pedals, and numerous cosmetic trim highlights. Like its more conservative sedan kin, the Type R features a distinctive two-tiered dash with a large tacho dominating the main central lower portion while up above is a digital readout speedo.

Although the car does sit in the higher priced end of the market, it is well specced with dual zone climate control, remote locking, power windows and mirrors, a quality single slot CD audio system, automatic headlights and wipers and, very welcome for a car of this type, cruise control.

Active and passive safety too is a priority with six airbags, ABS and VSA stability and traction control as standard.

Up front there is plenty of room and good adjustability of the seat and steering column to get a comfortable driving position. In the rear there are just two belted spaces with adequate room for short journeys for a couple of adults. The the 60/40 splitfold rear seat back folds forward in an ingenious way to create a luggage space that expands from 485 litre capacity to swallow a total of 1352 litres.

But this is not a car that is about carting people or goods around, as it is very firmly focussed on the driving experience.

At first glance at the on-paper specs, it doesn't appear all that formidable -- especially when you compare the sub-200Nm torque figure of its naturally aspirated 2.0-litre engine against the turbo versions of the likes of the VW Golf GTI (280Nm), Focus XR5, HSV VXR, Subaru WRX (all 320Nm) and Mazda3 MPS (380Nm). Even the Civic's 148kW peak power output only matches the Golf and is bettered by just about everything else in this market.

But you need to look much further than the output numbers to get a sense of what sort of engine sits under the bonnet and really it takes a drive to understand what the Type R is about. As with Honda's past 'go fast' engines and in line with the company's motorcycle heritage, the 2.0-litre four cylinder engine is not about turbo-torque or big capacity, it all comes down to top-end power and revs.

Where many of its competitors are starting to run out of breath around the 6000rpm mark, the Civic is only just getting going with peak power not being reached until 7800rpm. Even maximum torque is listed at a sky-high 5600rpm.

And from the minute you hit the somewhat gimmicky starter button and plant the right foot, these are the numbers that count.

Off the line, the engine seems strongish, getting away with reasonable enthusiasm but it is certainly not the sort of 'push back in the seat' acceleration you get from a blown engine. But keep the foot flattened and as the iVTEC system kicks in, switching over the valve timing around 5400rpm, there is a discernible punch as the car continues to accelerate.

If conditions allow, it will still keep pulling faster and stronger right through the soft 8000rpm revlimiter before a quick flick of the left wrist shifts the slick close-ratio six-speed up a gear to do it all again.

Only problem is that by the time you are hitting the red zone in second, you are bordering on flaunting the law. It's a smooth progression to the top end and while the car's local Integra Type R predecessor was loud and rough, the scream that develops into a howl as you push the Civic on can't help but bring a smile to your face. For this 40-something hack, it wiped years off the calendar, producing the sort of youthful enthusiasm that visits only occasionally these days.

And it wasn't only in a straight line that that sheer thrill of driving enjoyment was evident and if anything, the Civic Type R offers an even greater experience tackling fast, hard corners.

The body feels tight as a drum and indeed has a reputation as one of the stiffest hatch bodyshells made today. The lowered and very firm suspension ensures the car sits incredibly flat through corners and although on the lighter side, the electric steering is delightfully direct and responsive with a surprising amount of feel.

The big rubber does a great job on the grip front with only extreme measures inducing slight understeer. But such is the stiffness of the chassis and limited 'give' in the suspension and tyres that it can skip a little over mid-corner ruts. It's not overly disconcerting -- unlike a similar experience in the rear-wheel drive S2000 -- but it can still take you by surprise.

Thus there is a trade-off for the supremely enjoyable point and shoot handling -- ride quality. It is hard -- probably no other word for it. On smoother surfaces, this is fine but over rougher roads and tram tracks, it becomes very noticeable with only the excellent seats taking the edge off the harshness. There is a degree of compliance and it's not exactly crashing and bashing but the R certainly gets jiggly and this becomes very noticeable at slower urban speeds crisscrossing the city.

Alas, this is where most of us spend the bulk of our time behind the wheel and it makes the car a stretch to live with as a daily driver. If you're willing to ignore this fault, however, the Civic Type R packs a huge dose of fun and, best of all, confirms to the faithful that Honda can still build very competent sportscars… Cars that have a character all of their own.

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