Honda Civic Type R price shock

Honda Australia has slapped a national drive-away price of $72,600 onto the all-new 2023 Honda Civic Type R ahead of orders opening on December 1 and first deliveries due from February next year.

The sixth-generation Civic Type R is the fastest and most powerful example of Honda’s hot hatch in its 25-year history, bringing significant improvements across the board compared to the previous model that was priced at $54,990 plus on-road costs at the end of its lifecycle.

That places the new R-rated Civic around $13,000 more expensive than before, and into new pricing territory for the small performance car that rose as high as $70,000 drive-away for the 2021 Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition.

At more than $72K, the FL5-gen Type R is positioned well upstream of the top-spec Hyundai i30 N (from $49,200 plus ORCs), sitting closer to the Volkswagen Golf R (from $65,990 plus ORCs).

It’s also asking similar money to an Audi S3 (from $70,800), BMW M135i (from $67,900) and even the new Nissan Z sports car (from $73,300).

On December 1, Honda says buyers can “formally process a booking for the all-new Civic Type R with their nearest Honda Centre, by selecting the exterior paint colour, completing a contract of sale and paying a deposit”.

As with all Honda pre-orders, deposits are pegged at $1000 and are fully refundable. However, there will be no haggling or wriggle room on the purchase price under Honda’s agency business model that’s been in place since mid-2021.

Honda Australia director Carolyn McMahon said the new Type R has generated more than 4000 “pre-registrations” in Australia since it was revealed in July.

“There has also been a significant spike in the volume of enquiry we’ve received, with our network of Honda Centres telling us that customers are contacting them regularly, eager to put their names down to secure a new Civic Type R,” she said.

“We understand the level of interest as the Civic Type R represents the pinnacle of performance for Honda, so to support our network partners and customers we’ve opened the order books early to allow official orders to be placed via our customer experience portal.”

Honda Civic Type R powertrain

The 2023 Honda Civic Type R – or CTR as the VTEC nerds call it – is based on the same all-new platform as the garden-variety 11th-generation Honda Civic and is fitted with a bigger radiator, a larger-diameter fan and a lighter flywheel, designed to improve thermal dynamics and throttle response to enhance racetrack readiness.

A new six-speed manual transmission features optimised shift gate patterns, an upgraded rev-matching system designed help “maintain stability on corner entry”, along with a high-rigidity lever to deliver “hyper-precise” gear changes.

The new cog-swapper sends power to the front wheels via a limited-slip differential but Honda is yet to say whether the new model is faster from 0-100km/h than its predecessor, which claimed a rapid-fire 5.7 seconds.

Hidden beneath the CTR’s vented aluminium bonnet is a ‘K20C1’ 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol VTEC engine that belts out 235kW of power and 420Nm of torque (+7kW and +20Nm).

Significant engine upgrades include a redesigned turbocharger, an increase to air intake flow rates and an enhanced straight-through exhaust system complete with an active exhaust valve that opens at higher engine revs to boost engine acoustics.

Honda Civic Type R chassis dynamics

The Japanese car-maker is confident the 2023 Honda Civic Type R will be faster and more engaging to drive courtesy of its new platform, stiffer body, wider track, reworked suspension and thicker Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres (265/30ZR19) shod to 19-inch alloy wheels.

Honda’s performance boffins have retuned the dual-axis strut front and multi-link rear suspension to “improve straight-line stability and steering feel”. The brakes have also been upgraded, with new two-piece front discs not only delivering improved cooling but also reducing unsprung weight.

It also comes with four drive modes – Comfort, Sport, +R and Individual – that adjust various systems, including engine response and acoustics, steering sensitivity and suspension firmness.

Honda Civic Type R cabin

Fitted with traditional Type R red bucket seats, red carpets and trim, the 2023 Honda Civic Type R also features a redesigned aluminium gear shift knob and build plate mounted to the dashboard.

Honda says the driver and front passenger sit much lower than before in “new lightweight, heavily bolstered front sports seats with suede-effect upholstery”.

The digital driver’s display is dominated by a large tachometer, and flicking the car into +R mode moves vital info such as the gear shift indicator and tacho to the top of the dash.

A new version of the Honda LogR data logger is also part of the package.

Buyers can choose from four exterior paint colours: Championship White, Rally Red, Crystal Black and Sonic Grey.

Honda says several features that weren’t available before will now be fitted as standard, including:
Active exhaust valve
Wider 265/30 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres
10.2-inch customisable digital driver’s display
9.0-inch central touch-screen system
Wireless Apple CarPlay
Wireless phone charger
Honda Connect
In-built Honda LogR
Satellite navigation
Blind spot information system
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Traffic Sign Recognition System
Intelligent Speed Limiter
Driver Attention Monitor
Knee airbags – driver and front passenger
Acoustic windscreen
‘Smart Clear Wiper’ windscreen washer system
Auto-retractable door mirrors
Full suede-effect seat trim
Ambient LED door trim and front footwell lighting

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