After giving the new Civic and Civic Si a mild facelift last year, it wasn’t long for the Honda Type R to receive the same treatment. As it turns out, Honda revealed the 2020 Civic Type R at the Tokyo Auto Salon.
And while the new car essentially looks the same, Honda focused on minor styling tweaks along with some critical performance updates.
The new Civic Type R gets a larger front grille
Similar to the mild cosmetic updates in the Honda Civic Si, the Type R now has a larger front grille for better engine cooling. The car you’re seeing here is finished in Boost Blue paint, which is exclusive to the 2020 Civic Type R.
And that’s about it. More than anything, the bigger grille served to further tidy up the busy front end while feeding more cooling air during spirited driving.
It has new brakes and dampers
In all fairness, the Civic Type-R is already a dazzling performance saloon, and Honda knows this all too well. So, instead of messing around with a proven formula, Honda engineers focused on some minor performance tweaks to further enhance performance and ride comfort.
For starters, the new Type R receives a new set of two-piece brake rotors and brake pads to improve high-speed barking efficiency. The car also has new dampers and stiffer rear bushings for better ride comfort. Honda also tinkered with the front suspension to deliver a sharper steering feel.
The interior also received some love
According to Honda’s press release, the new Civic Type R is redesigned for added refinement, and this is evident in the interior. The changes include a new Alcantara-wrapped tiller, a new shifter with shorter shift throws, and a new shift knob.
Of course, Honda Sensing is now standard in the Civic Type R. The package includes lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, collision mitigation braking, and road departure mitigation system. Also, Honda also included Active Sound Control which feeds artificial engine noise inside the cabin.
Apparently, the 2020 model year marks the first time Honda Sensing is standard across the entire Civic lineup.
Engine power remains the same, and that’s a good thing
Does the standard 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder motor deserve a power hike? Not exactly. The Civic Type R is already potent with 306-horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, which is more than enough for a compact four-door saloon car.
As usual, power is routed to the front wheels via a close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential. The driver can choose from three different driving modes to alter the throttle response, steering feel, and damper settings.
Honda is set to release pricing and other information on the 2020 Civic Type R closer to its launch date later this year. Given the minor cosmetic and hardware changes, we’re expecting a minor increase from the outgoing model’s $36,300 base price.