The 2023 Honda Civic Type R is here

Honda fanboys and car enthusiasts rejoice! The latest version of the well-loved Honda Civic Type R has finally been officially introduced in the Philippines, launched today at a media thanksgiving party hosted by Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) at the Karrera Showroom in Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

The 2023 Honda Civic Type R, known internally as the FL5, is based on the hatchback version of the current “FE” generation Honda Civic which reached our shores in 2021. It was initially revealed in July last year, with full specifications announced in September. Fast forward to the first month of 2023 and we now have it with us in its full glory.

As this is a true blooded performance car, let’s talk about what powers the all-new Civic Type R first. Under its hood is a 2.0-liter Inline 4-cylinder K20C1 VTEC Turbo engine which is of course exclusively paired to a 6-speed manual transmission with rev-matching. It produces 320 horsepower and 420 Nm of torque, making it the most powerful Civic Type R in history. Power is then sent to the front wheels. 

Looking at the exterior, the all-new Honda Civic Type R is now longer, lower, and wider than before. It features a Type R exclusive honeycomb front grille with the iconic red Honda emblem, the lower grille is also larger to allow more air into the intercooler. It then rides on smaller 19-inch matte black lightweight alloy Type R wheels. Meanwhile, the rear door is wider than that of the standard Civic Hatchback. The redesigned rear bumper also shows off its three exhaust pipes in the center and its rear diffuser.

For the local market, the Civic Type R will be available in two striking colors which are Historic Championship White (a Type R exclusive finish revered by Honda enthusiasts) and Racing Blue Pearl.

Inside, the all-new Civic Type R is of course very familiar if you know the 11th generation Civic. On top of that, it features red seats, carpet and trim, and a serialized Type R plate now placed on the dashboard. The aforementioned seats are exclusive to the Type R and are wrapped in a suede material for a sportier feel. 

In terms of safety, the 2023 Honda Civic Type R is equipped with Honda SENSING, giving it Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Road Departure Mitigation System with Lane Departure Warning (RDM with LDW), Auto High-Beam (AHB), Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow (ACC with LSF), and Lead Car Departure Notification System (LCDN).

Now you probably want to know about availability as the previous generation was only available with a limited number of units. First, the 2023 Honda Civic Type R is priced at Php 3,880,000. As for the number of units to be made available in the country, the first batch is limited to 40 units including the one displayed at the launch which is set to become a demo car. This makes the number of units to be sold in the country limited to 39 units.

With just that number of units to be sold in the country, we’re sure that these will quickly be snatched up. You should definitely head on to your nearest Honda dealer now if you want a 2023 Honda Civic Type R.