Honda has taken the wraps of the 2020 Civic Type R hot hatch, revealing new performance and tech features as part of the car’s mid-life update designed to make it even more appealing to enthusiasts, with the price rising to $54,990 plus on road costs.
Costing $3,000 more than the outgoing model, the 2020 Civic Type has been throughly reworked by Honda, bringing with it changes to the suspension, brakes, and cooling, along with Honda’s clever new LogR data-logging system.
The 2.0-litre turbocharged engine’s power and torque remain unchanged, with 228kW and 400Nm with power being sent through an old school 6-speed manual gearbox which now features an improved shift feel. Honda has added a 90g counter-weight to the new gear knob. Geeky, we know. All of these improvements should made the refreshed Civic Type R a better all round car to drive and the enthusiast choice. Unlike the new Renault Megane R.S. 300, there is no automatic option with the Civic.
Honda also claims that changes have been made the car’s chassis. The software in the active dampers has been updated, whilst new rubber bushings in suspension control arms provide greater lateral grip. The steering should feel nicer too; low-friction ball-joints will improve the feedback through the steering wheel in corners.
With weight forever the enemy of the sports car, the 2020 Civic Type R receives new two-piece floating front brake discs designed to save 2.3 kilograms and a new brake pad compound to help eradicate brake fade on the track. The brake pedal should feel nicer too thanks to another revision to the pedal’s workings.
An Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel now features inside, and should prove a delight to hold.
On the outside, Honda has followed its strategy of incremental updates again with a larger front grille and new radiator designed to improve engine cooling by 10 degrees during intense driving conditions.
Apart from the relatively minor changes to the front bumper, as well as as the new blades on the rear bumper, the 2020 Civic Type R remains largely the same when viewed from the outside. A new colour does feature for the first time however, a pearlescent Racing Blue, really distinguishing it from lesser models of the humble Civic range.
The 7.0-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto has also been upgraded and gains a dedicated volume knob. The LogR system mentioned above allows drivers to monitor key performance parameters, exporting a plethora of information to a smartphone app. From judging how smoothly you drive to how fast you went around the track, this is a very hand feature indeed.
The new 2020 Honda Civic Type R goes on sale 1 October 2020.
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