Honda Debut: The New 2017 Honda Civic Type R

The wait is almost over: Honda has unveiled it’s brand new 2017 Honda Civic Type R. This summer will see the first sales of any Type R variant to make it to North America, and the fastest and most powerful civic in our market. The car comes with an MSRP in the low $40k range.

Under the hood

In the video debut of the car the 2.0-liter DOHC, direct-injected and turbocharged i-VTEC in-line 4-cylinder engine, built in Ohio, can be heard making quite a lot of noise. The engine has peak ratings of 306 horsepower at 6, 5000 rpm and 295 lb-ft. of torque from 2, 500 – 4, 500 rpm.
The engine is paired with a short throw 6-speed manual transmission with rev matching capability for smoother shifts and power delivery. Clutch inertia is reduced in the 2017 Honda Civic Type R by 25 percent over the previous European Type R model with the use of a new single-mass flywheel.

Body improvements

The body is based on the Civic Hatchback – but with improvements. The 2017 Honda Civic Type R body has a 38 percent increase in torsional rigidity, and a 45 percent gain in bending rigidity over the previous Type R models. These increases work to enhance steering response and cornering stability, all the while decreasing body vibration and cabin noise.
These improvements are due to the use of structural adhesive throughout the body, as well as the use of ultra-high strength steel used in 14 percent of the body structure. Another factor is the use of the aluminum hood which the Type R uses, bringing the total weight of the car down 16kg versus the previous Type R models and 7kg below the weight of the 2017 Civic Hatchback.

New interior technology

In the interior of the car a 7-inch Display Audio touchscreen interface is mounted. The interface is utilizes the Honda Navigation system, and has compatibility with Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™. The Type R also comes equipped with a 542-watt, 12-speaker audio system with SiriusXM 2.0 and the standard HD Radio compatibility.
To make driving in all conditions as easy as possible, the Type R comes ready with three driving modes. The default mode is the Sport mode, but it also comes with Comfort and +R. These modes, which the driver can select, adjust steering and throttle response, transmission rev-matching, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) and the Adaptive Damper System.
This new and highly anticipated mode was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show this year with a short teaser video.  It’s North American debut is slated as the New International Auto Show next month. Once it premiers in North America, more details on prices will come and the cars will start to roll out to your local Honda dealerships.