2018 Honda Civic Type R First Drive Review | The fastest front-wheel drive is nearing its limits
Honda Australia and Type R enthusiasts have been waiting over five years to see the new red H badge land down under, and finally the fastest front-wheel drive car around the Nurburgring circuit is here.
Perhaps being the fastest front-wheel drive car isn’t really going to cut it though when Honda says it has its sights set on sticky all-wheel drive rivals like the Ford Focus RS and Volkswagen Golf R. And then there’s its price which, at $50,990, is dead-on with the wickedly quick RS and only a couple of thousand less than the refined manual-equipped Golf R.
Vehicle Style: Small hot hatch
Price: $50,990 plus on-road costs
Engine/trans: 228kW/400Nm 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo petrol, | 6spd manual
Fuel Economy Claimed: 8.8 l/100km
OVERVIEW
Not only does the Civic Type R join competent rivals in the market like the RS and Golf R, it has upcoming models to contend with such as the Hyundai i30 N and Renault Sport Megane RS.
Helping it stand out from its competitors is a design that looks like something dreamt up in a school yard playground. And although it isn’t for everyone, Honda says all of those exterior bits serve a purpose to increase grip by producing downforce when speeds get over 100km/h. Some of the design also serves more than one purpose, such as the height of the rear-wing which generates immense negative lift but also sits so high that it doesn’t appear in the rear-view mirror.