Hot hatch fans will be excited to hear the 2020 Honda Civic Type R facelift has been unveiled. It made its debut at the 2020 Tokyo Auto Salon this weekend.
Starting with the styling, the edgy and aggressive theme carries over from the outgoing model. However, at the front you might notice the slightly larger grille opening for better cooling, with colour-coded highlights for the corner clusters front and back.
Speaking of the back, it’s pretty much the same as before. You’ve got the trademark central-outlet triple exhausts poking out from below, with a big deck spoiler mounted on the tailgate. Buyers will now be able to option a new Boost Blue paint colour for more wow factor.
Underneath the skin Honda has made some revisions to the driving dynamics, with updated dampers to improve the ride quality, stiffer rear bushes for more grip, and made changes to the front suspension to reduce friction while also enhancing steering feel. The brakes are also upgraded to new two-piece discs with matching updated pads. These promise reduced fade and better high-speed braking efficiency.
No changes are made to the 2.0-litre turbo engine. It continues to produce 228kW and 400Nm, which is sent through a close ratio six-speed manual transmission, with front-wheel drive and a limited-slip differential.
Unfortunately, instead of providing more sound from the engine, Honda has gone for the disappointing fake sound system for the cabin. Called Active Sound Control, the system changes in-car sound characteristics according to the drive mode selected (Comfort, Sport, +R).
Some updates are provided for the interior as well, including a new Alcantara wrap for the steering wheel, a new gear shifter with shorter throw action, and Honda Sensing safety suite is now included as standard.
Sales are set to commence later this year, with final Australian specs and prices yet to be confirmed.
