The updated 2020 Honda Civic Type R will go on-sale here on October 1, with tweaks to ride and handling, braking and more.
Too many automotive updates are little more than a new paint colour or updated wheel design. To be fair, the Civic Type R didnโt really need much of a touch up…itโs already pretty darn good.
But this updated version which goes on-sale here on October 1 boasts โupgrades to ride and handling, braking performance and engine cooling, freshened exterior and interior design elements, plus Hondaโs first-ever performance data-logging application, exclusive to the Civic Type Rโ.
Key suspension tweaks include upgrading the software on the adaptive dampers, making them 10 times faster to respond. The rear bushings for the lower B-arm have been stiffened by 8%, resulting in better toe-in characteristics when cornering, according to Honda. At the front, updated compliance bushings (10% stiffer longitudinally) and new lower-friction ball joints โresult in sharper steering feel for better controlโ. The ride and handling was already just about bang on, so I canโt wait to see what this update is like across our test roads.
Like the suspension, the brakes have been tweaked with new two-piece floating front brake discs and new brake pads with a more fade-resistant pad material – the updated brakes have seen a 2.3kg reduction in unsprung weight. And the brake stroke, for heavy loads, has been reduced by 15mm…hopefully that wonโt make the brakes feel snatchy.
Engine cooling performance has been improved by a larger grille and thinner grille beam, which results in a 13% larger air intake opening. Combined with an updated radiator core, this decreases coolant temperature by up to 10 degrees (under Honda internal testing) in high-demand situations, such as during track driving, said Honda.
On the outside there have been a few styling tweaks, like a new design for the fog light surrounds. And a new paint colour, Racing Blue joins the existing palette. Inside, the Civic Type R gains a new Alcantara wrapped steering wheel, a new shift lever with restyled knob and the same Alcantara finish for the shift boot. The new โteardrop-style gear knob is reminiscent of those found on earlier Type R models and includes a 90g internal counterweight to help improve shift feel and accuracyโ.
A revised seven-inch Advanced Display Audio touchscreen with integrated ventilation system controls is part of the updated package, with hard buttons for the most commonly used functions, along with a dedicated volume control knob.
โAlso new for the updated Civic Type R is the addition of Active Sound Control (ASC), which works to enhance the engine sound during aggressive driving in Sport and +R modes, while refining it further in Comfort mode,โ Honda said.
The updated Honda Civic Type R debuts a new datalogger, called Honda LogR. This system matches the onboard computer and sensors and pairs it with a smartphone app that can monitor and record lap times, driving smoothness for day to day driving and more. Sounds like a gimmickโฆ
The Civic Type R retains its 2.0-litre VTEC Turbo engine, which makes 228kW of power at 6500rpm and 400Nm of torque from 2500-4500rpm. Itโs mated exclusively to a six-speed manual.
The updated Type R will go on-sale here on October 1 and will be priced from $54,990 plus on-road costs.
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