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The 2023 Honda Civic Type R officially drops in the Philippines

It’s official, after much excitement, the 2023 Civic Type R is now available locally.

Jerome Tresvalles
2023 Honda Type R Launch

Honda Cars Philippines have officially launched the all-new Honda Civic Type R in our market. The new Civic Type R, designated under the model code FL5, is based on the eleventh-generation Civic Liftback but tuned for performance. With this new generation of the Type R, Honda has dialed back on the radical aesthetics present in the 5th generation Type R, discarding the fake air vents and sharp edges for a cleaner, more subtle appearance. Under the hood, the Type R is fitted with the same power unit as its predecessor, the K20C1, but features an updated turbocharger. Honda has also tweaked the Type R’s manual gearbox with stronger shift linkages, slightly reworked the car’s shift pattern, and they’ve retuned the rev-matching system to make the car more balanced in downshifts. This current generation aims to deliver the aggressive road racer feeling of the previous Type R in a more mature body and improve on where the previous generation falls short. 

Related: 2023 Honda Civic Type R makes global debut
Honda Type R Launch

Visually, the new Type R is much more restrained than the previous generation. Honda ditched the rather excessive fake hood vents and extremely aggressive corners and lines for a smoother, more mature look. The new Type R features a sleek, body-colored bumper with functional air vents that aid in cooling the engine. Compared to the standard Civic, the Type R sits lower and has a wider stance. 

Type R Profile

The only parts carried over from the standard model are the doors and trunk. The new Type R retains the triple-exhaust design of the old generation, greatly complemented by the smoother trunk style and wrap-around taillights. The wheel arches have also been smoothed out without any sharp bumps or edges. At the top of the trunk, the Type R has a massive spoiler, but instead of the tall vertical end plates on the old one, it is attached using shorter metal struts.

Overall, the 6th generation Type R is visually more restrained than its predecessor. It’s done away with its loud bodywork in favor of a more restrained aesthetic. It’s still a fast car, it just doesn’t advertise it as much anymore.

Inside the Type R, the interior is also given a massive redesign. Unlike the curving dashboard of the previous generation, the new Type R features a horizontal dash. The air conditioning system is inside an air vent that is one continuous piece, giving the dash a simple, streamlined look. The semi-bucket seats are upholstered in suede, splashed in bright Type R red. The head unit of the Type R is now mounted on top of the dashboard instead of being placed inside the dash. The wheel has the iconic red ‘H’ emblem identifying it as a Type R Civic, the wheel is thick, with red stitching on the inside to contrast the black leather upholstery. Like the previous generation, the shifter is made of milled aluminum. 

The head unit is equipped with Honda’s LogR data system. The data logger allows drivers to view information about the car in real-time, it also tracks driving performance if the driver chooses.

Type R Engine

Under the hood is the same 2.0-liter 16-valve DOHC VTEC, Turbo Charged In-line 4 Cylinder engine from the previous generation. What’s different is that it now puts out 315 horsepower (320 PS) and 420 nm of torque. All this power is sent to the front wheels through a 6-speed manual transmission equipped with Honda’s Rev Match Control System, which has been improved since the last generation for smoother and much more precise gear shifts.

TYPE R lights

The new Honda Type R retails at P3,880,000 for the lone 2.0 VTEC Turbo Honda SENSING MT variant. It will be available in two colors, Championship White and Racing Blue Pearl.

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