If there ever was such a thing as a Pantheon for car enthusiasts and petrolheads, it wouldn’t be complete without a Honda Civic Type R. For decades, it has marked itself as the definitive benchmark and gold standard among hot hatches and front-wheel-driven performance cars. And somehow, it keeps getting even better with each generation, and the same is true with the most recent FL5-generation Honda Civic Type R. Finally reaching British shores and already selling like hotcakes, is this new FL5 Type R really that much of a giant leap forward? Or, is it much more of the same?
Well, just by looking at it, these new FL5 Civics are a massive departure visually. Take a step inside, and you’ll find even more refinement, with a redesigned interior, the latest tech, and all the sporty Type R goodness that people like you and me enjoy. Crucially, however, Honda’s boffins have turned up the wick on the latest Type R way past 11. On the surface, it’s mainly evolution rather than revolution, however, as a complete package, and once you get it out on the road, it’s a whole new experience altogether.
What Is The Honda Civic Type R FL5 About?
Based on the current-gen Honda Civic FL5, this all-new Type R definitely has a more subtle, elegant look to it. This is unlike the overtly aggressive boy racer-spec FK8 Type R that came before it, which did put off way more would-be buyers than you’d really think. If you take a peek at it from far away, the FL5 Type R isn’t too different from the bog-standard FL5. The only things that set it apart, from the exterior at least, are the massive rear wing, updated bumpers and skirts all-around, all to improve aerodynamics, and the all-too-distinctive Type R triple exhausts. Not to mention, a few more sporty touches here and there, like the lightweight, matte black, 19-inch alloy wheels.
These are wrapped in oh-so-lovely Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres, size 265/30 ZR19 93Y. Although it might not look it, Honda did try to maximise the downforce and aero on this new FL5 Type R as much as they feasibly could on a series production car. You’ll notice these once you take a closer look, like the tiny winglets on the side skirts, and those small vents on the front and rear bumpers. Aside from that, Honda also needed to make sure that all that extra horsepower over the regular FL5 Honda Civic required more cooling. This is courtesy of the gigantic front grille and large inverted bonnet scoop.
Overall though, as far as looks and design are concerned – which, I’d reckon, for most would-be Type R owners, is probably secondary to outright performance and handling, anyway – the new FL5 Type R is a pretty good-looking car. It’s a handsome thing, and one that catches quite a bit of attention. The Racing Blue Pearl paintwork on my particular FL5 Type R here, in particular, does help. These pictures capture it quite well and give it justice, too. If you don’t like blue, of course, Honda’s iconic Championship White, which is the brand’s historic racing colour, is always an option.
How Does It Drive?
I swear, driving the FL5 Honda Civic Type R, just like its predecessors, really does bring out the very best and worst in everyone. Dynamically and performance-wise, it’s so capable, that it encourages you to drive it faster, and even then, it constantly eggs you on to keep driving faster, and faster. Of course, don’t do that on public roads, lest you risk losing your driver’s license, but the FL5 Type R really does tempt you to act naughty, even in those times when you don’t really need to drive fast. Being front-wheel drive, it’s very predictable and generally keeps you in check and out of trouble.
As far as its handling goes, I’ve found the FL5 Type R far exceeds what I really thought was possible from a road car. It’s effortless to just chuck it into a corner at speed, and you’ll confidently know that it’s able to carry all that speed and momentum through and out of the corner. Even under hard braking into a bend, or when I was trying to intentionally upset it, the FL5 Type R still manages to keep itself poised and under control. All you really need to do is just point the steering wheel to where you need to go, and without a fuss, the Type R will go there, all while carrying impressive speed and inertia.
There’s a good amount of power under the bonnet too, and a slight uptick from the FK8 Type R. With the FL5, it’s now outputting 329PS and 420Nm of torque, all from a very familiar 2.0-litre, turbocharged, inline-4 VTEC engine. On paper, it’ll manage a 0-62mph sprint in just 5.4 seconds, before topping out at 171mph. I don’t really know quite how Honda’s engineers manage to do this every single time, but whenever I think this is at the cusp of what front-wheel drive could do, they keep raising the bar ever higher. Even in straight-line speed, the FL5 Type R is impressively sharp, and it has no issues putting the power down and rocketing you into the sunset.
Wherever you go, there’s just a relentless amount of torque, and best of all, it’s delivered in a way that’s raw and analogue, with none of the numbness that a lot of hot hatches and performance cars these days suffer from. On top of that, all this power goes through an impressive-feeling 6-speed manual transmission. The FL5 Type R is a very rewarding car to drive fast (and even slowly), making it one of the best enthusiast, driver’s cars money can buy today. Naturally, the biggest challenge with putting down this much power and torque through those front wheels, is torque steer. Every single FWD performance car on the market has varying means of solving this.
On the FL5 Type R, it has a tiny bit of torque steer at full power, but it’s rather manageable as a whole. Though, it’ll get a bit interesting in wet and rainy conditions. But, with a reasonable amount of skill and car control, you’ll typically have no issues getting it to track straight when you need to. If you do find yourself driving a bit too fast, the huge brakes on the FL5 Type R will stop you instantly. Moreover, it’s modulated exceptionally well too, ensuring that it’ll deliver maximum braking force, but without breaking traction. Still, not all is perfect. The suspension on the FL5 Type R, on the other hand, is a bit of a mixed bag for me.
When you’re just knocking around town or if you’re gently cruising down your local B-road, the suspension and damping on the FL5 Type R is rock solid in its default sport mode. For some folks, you might even consider this borderline uncomfortable. I found myself using the car’s individual drive modes and turning the suspension to comfort but keeping all the other hot features on.
When you’re out on the track or when you’re attacking a mountain pass, and for generally more sporty and technical driving, the suspension on the FL5 Type R in its sport mode is spot on. It’s superbly firm and keeps the car planted onto the road, with an astonishing level of grip and traction from a car that just about anyone could go in and buy.
Between that, and the magical front diff on these new Type Rs, it’s no wonder why it constantly ranks as some of the fastest front-wheel drive performance cars you’ll ever find.
If you want to further fine-tune your FL5 Type R’s driving dynamics and feel even more, there are a number of drive modes that we touched on earlier. By default, the Type R starts off in Sport mode, but you can knock it down into Comfort, or ramp it up to Individual. The latter lets you tailor each part of the Type R to best suit your needs. For me personally, I normally set most of these to their racier options… Rev-matching to be made sharper and more aggressive, engine/throttle response in ‘R’ mode, as well as the dash, also in ‘R’ mode.
The only exceptions were to slacken off the steering, and to make sure that I could get more softness out of that rock-hard suspension. Depending on how you’re feeling that day, there’s a lot of adjustability to be had. Another, distinct drive mode, is a big button just above the drive mode selector, marked ‘+R’. This is essentially the same as ‘track’ mode as you might see in other cars, which spices up the FL5 Type R to its max. As such, this is where you’ll experience the Type R in its purest, rawest form, with the sportiest, most precise, and responsive configuration. It comes with more leniency from the traction control and stability control systems.
Speaking of, there’s also the FL5 Type R’s angry exhaust note. A bit of it sounds somewhat synthesised and piped in into the cabin, but the raw, un-edited exhaust note, sounds really good, too. Particularly, if you were to rev-match it, or let the auto rev-matching system kick in and let it do its thing. All of which are complemented by a healthy barrage of induction and turbo noises; all music to my ears. All in all, as sharp as the FL5 Type R can be when you’re on track and are aiming to break lap records, it’s also pretty good fun to drive around at slower speeds, as well.
What Is It Like Inside?
As sporting and as exciting as the new Honda Civic Type R might be on track or on your favourite bit of road, it’s really well-appointed and plush once you step inside. Having driven the previous generation Type Rs, this is another big change from the FK8 Type R. The latter always felt a bit spartan and racy. In stark contrast, this new FL5 Type R brings with it a surprising amount of amenities, refinement, and comfort. The seats, for example, as super comfy for long-distance driving or just short commutes, even if those large, red bucket seats may appear aggressively bolstered. Plus, as far as seating position goes, it’s pretty much perfect. Rear passengers won’t complain all too much either, with supportive and comfortable bench seats, and lots of red accents throughout.
Red seatbelts, red stitching, red carpets, some beautiful ‘Type R’ badging, and so on. For added bragging rights, inside each FL5 Type R, there’s a plaque on the dash that states the serial production number of each car. Now, I did notice it losing out a bit of practicality to some other sporty hot hatches out there, given that the FL5 Type R’s rear seats only two people, not three. Instead, the middle rear seat is occupied by a couple of cup holders. But, it does make up for this once you pop open the rear hatch, and you’ll find a large, spacious boot. Type R or not, at the end of the day, this is still a Civic, so it retains most of the day-to-day practicality and ease with it.
Elsewhere, the rest of the interior genuinely is a major step up from the old FK8 Honda Civics. The dash on the FL5 has a nice honeycomb mesh design, and the rest of the cabin looks and feels really modern and up-to-date, with a fair bit of shiny metal trim here and there. There’s even a wireless charging pad and an abundance of USB ports to charge your phone. Additionally, the infotainment system is another big leap forward from the old guard, not just for the FL5 Honda Civic, but for Honda as a whole. This new centre display has a very clean, easy-to-use, and responsive user interface. Plus, it’s got Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
The Experience
However, for me, the best thing on here is Honda’s LogR data logging and telemetry app. It’ll show you additional information like extra gauges for all your car’s vital fluids and lubricants… Oil temp, coolant temp, oil pressure, air intake temp, turbo boost pressure, etc. In addition, Honda’s LogR system measures how much load is placed on all four tyres, and an inclinometer of sorts while you’re out on track. Aside from that, it could even score you based on how good and precise your acceleration, deceleration, and handling are, which is handy if you’re trying to sharpen your track driving skills. Optionally, you could have your telemetry data saved in Honda’s database, where you could then compare your own lap times and driving skills versus other Honda Civic Type R owners.
This ought to give you a broader insight into how to better perfect your braking zones and racing lines, and these numerical scores are accompanied by actual titbits of advice. It’s close enough to having an actual race engineer and race team behind your back, advising you on where to improve and how to drive faster. This is all based on mapping data of race tracks around the world, but you could also use the FL5 Type R’s GPS and satnav to map your own circuit, instead.
Pair that with the sporty digital gauge cluster, and once you flick the Type R into ‘R’ mode, it makes for a superbly fun day at the track, with a big tachometer and even a set of shift lights. Another area where the FL5 Type R does distinguish itself from the regular Civics is in regards to ergonomics. The Type R comes with an Alcantara steering wheel, and despite my particular car here having done 20,000 miles or so, the Alcantara finishing has weathered and aged really well, all things considered. And of course, it’s got that signature Type R gear knob; undoubtedly one of the best feeling, ergonomic, and pleasing shapes humankind has ever created. It makes the simple art of shifting gears in your Type R feel just that bit more special.
Honda Civic Type R FL5
Our specific press car here, as you see it, comes out to £49,740. Breaking it down, that’s £49,090 for the particular grade that we’ve got here, and £650 for the colour on top of that. This isn’t cheap by any means, but for a performance car of its calibre, and one that can handily keep pace with pricier, oftentimes six-digit, sports cars, it’s arguably not a bad price. Unfortunately, this is where the market is going to now. In fact, most comparable hot hatches and performance cars are at a similar price point. Being a Honda, it at least should prove to be tough and reliable, dependable and long-lasting enough to probably even outlast its owners.
Hondas generally have low running costs, and the Civic is the sort of car that I’m confident could pretty much run for a really long time, with minimal problems or faults that could put a dent in my wallet. Its running costs and general maintenance, if it’s anything like the Hondas that came before it, should be comparatively more easy-going, too. However, if you intend on maxing out your FL5 Type R, Honda’s accessories catalogue has a plethora of expensive options to browse through. The most expensive that I’ve found is the £3,765 Carbon Pack, adding, among others, a bunch of carbon fibre touches and trim, and swapping out that giant rear wing for a large carbon piece.
Verdict
At the end of my testing, one of the things about the FL5 Civic Type R that surprised me the most was just how easy it is to drive, given its highly-strung nature. It’s amazingly approachable and manageable to grab its unadulterated, raw performance by the scruff of the neck. If you hand over the FL5 Type R to someone who might not be used to driving fast or racing on a track, just give them a couple of laps to get used to the car, and they’ll get up to speed really quickly. And hey, they might even get a good lap time at the end of it. For enthusiasts and petrolheads too, it’s great to see that the Type R magic hasn’t gone away, even if this new Honda Civic is bigger and heavier than the FK8.
Better yet, not only does the FL5 Type R display athleticism and sportiness that outclasses the old FK8, it’s better to live with day-to-day. It has a nicer interior, with as much practicality as you’d expect out of a Honda, and a comprehensive suite of driver aids and assists to make your daily commutes that bit safer and easier. And, if you’ve been put off by the overly aggressive styling of the old FK8 Type R, this might be right up your alley. The only shame, as I see it, is the fact that all this speed, performance, and joy, isn’t as accessible to most enthusiasts anymore, given its hefty price tag. But hey, maybe in a few years’ time, and add some market depreciation into the mix, these could be a fantastic bargain!
Specification
Honda Civic Type R FL5 Specs
- Price: £49,740
- Engine: 2.0-litre turbo VTEC inline-4
- Power: 329PS
- Torque: 420Nm
- Transmission: 6-speed manual
- 0-62mph: 5.4 seconds
- Top speed: 171mph
- Weight: 1,429kg
- Economy combined: 34.4mpg
- CO2: 186g/km
