2020 Tech-Heavy Honda Civic Type R to Arrive in US February 28
The latest iteration of the Honda Civic Type R will soon hit United States before the end of first quarter this year, but not without nifty features to go with it.
To note, previous generations' magnanimous performance capabilities turned heads when it arrived is understatement, and since then, they have been welcoming every version of Honda’s highest performance car every time they roll in stateside.
It looks like there will be more of that happening when the 2020 Honda Civic Type R drops in North America at the end of the month.
For 2020, notable upgrades have been done to ride and handling, braking performance and engine cooling. And Honda’s first-ever performance datalogging app, available exclusively for use with Civic Type R, will be available to owners between March and May this year.
According to Honda, updates to the undercarriage include an Adaptive Damper System that can now assess road conditions 10 times faster than before. There’s also an improved radiator core that delivers enhanced cooling, a key necessity in high speed performance driving. In front, updated compliance bushings (10 percent stiffer longitudinally) and new lower-friction ball joints result in sharper steering feel for better control. The lower B-arm rear bushings have also been stiffened for better toe-in characteristics when cornering.
Braking performance is enhanced by the Type R’s new two-piece rotors gripped by brake pads with a new more fade-resistant pad material. This replaces the single-piece front brake rotors of the outgoing model, which supposedly helps in improving brake performance with better fade resistance as well as reduced unsprung weight, resulting in 17 percent less play before the brakes do their thing.
Inside, the 2020 Civic Type R gets a new Alcantara-upholstered steering wheel and sueded shift boot, with a matching new shift lever with a restyled titanium knob reminiscent of previous Type R models, including the original 1997 Civic Type R. Inside the knob lies a 90g counterweight to help improve shift feel and accuracy.
Also new for the 2020 model year is the addition of Active Sound Control (ASC). Honda describes the ASC as “tuned to enhance engine sound in a natural way, during aggressive driving in all driving modes.”
Power is supplied by a “race-bred” 2.0-liter direct-injected and turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with VTEC valvetrain that puts out 306 hp and 400 Nm, with power to the front wheels delivered through a close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential.
The upgraded 2020 Type R also boasts freshened exterior and interior styling, standard Honda Sensing safety and driver-assistive technology, and a stunning new Boost Blue exterior color. All of these nifty new additions add up to a starting price of USD 36,995 (approx. PHP 1.87 million).
The good news is that the 2019 Honda Civic Type R we have locally has most of these features present, and you can buy one at your local Honda dealer for PHP 3,180,000.
Further, CARMUDI PHILIPPINES received a word that this latest Type R package will have to take a while before it reaches the market—should the regional counterpart of Honda Cars Philippines decides to bring it to the local market.
Guess we all just have to wait and see.
With reports from Ruben Manahan IV
