Honda Civic Type-R 2007 review: road test

It's more saint than sinner and is squarely in Honda Australia's prayers to fill the long-vacant role as a halo car for the brand that once dripped individuality and the promise of high-revving fun. The Civic Type-R is an edgy, look-at-me style statement that will bring the Type-R badge back to local showrooms but, as Honda Australia's senior director Lindsay Smalley says, with a new take on the hot hatch.

“We believe buyers are starting to look beyond stripped-out boy racer specials and petrol-guzzling V8s, turning to cars more in tune with today's times,” Smalley says.

“Buyers in this sector still want cars that are sporty and fun to drive yet are more refined, comfortable and practical. It's not just all about the power. It is the whole experience and grown-up buyers understand that.”

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• Honda Civic Type-R 2007 review: road test
• Honda Civic 2007 review
• Honda Civic Type-R 2007 review

It is the sort of manufacturer comment that typically precedes the unveiling of a model that falls short in key performance, refinement and fun criteria.

Such is not the case with the little Civic and early impressions are that Smalley seems justified in believing the halo effect of the Type-R — the first Civic to wear the Type-R badge in eight generations in Australia and the first British-built Honda to come Down Under — will add impetus to Honda's quest to reach an 8 per cent market share by 2010. From the time the car was unveiled as a concept at Geneva in March last year it has been at the top of the Honda Australia priority list, becoming a reality for the local market only after some severe horse trading behind the scenes at the Paris show.

Pricing for the car is yet to be finalised but the single specification model is expected to arrive in Australian showrooms by the end of June and will come in at just over $40,000. Meanwhile, Honda's sales predictions for the Civic Type-R are for 100 a month. And make no mistake: Honda hasn't scrimped here, with plenty of standard kit attached to pull in the buyers.

Standard fare for the Civic Type-R will include 18-inch alloys with a space-saver spare, shaped Alcantara sports seats, cruise control, trip computer, stability control, six airbags (including full-length curtain bags), ABS, electronic brake-force distribution and assist, remote keyless entry, foglights, drilled aluminium pedals, multi-function wheel, reach- and rake-adjustable steering, 60:40 split rear seats and it comes in any colour you like as long as it is red, black or silver. The interior trim is a single red/black combination, which looks much better than it sounds.

In addition, the wrap-around two-tier instrument display is easy to read.

Super Aguri F1 driver Anthony Davidson was on hand at the launch.

And it's when he starts to laugh out loud pumping through a high-speed, slightly off-camber right-hander that the Type-R's real potential is under the microscope.

“What a great little track ... I have to learn this track,” he says, cracking a smile from ear to ear as he guides the Civic around the Hill Circuit at the Millbrook proving grounds in Bedfordshire, England. “I had no idea this was here. It is just so much fun.”

It is Davidson's first half hour in the Civic and on the track, and from both, he is already extracting more than most drivers would be capable of in a month of Sundays.

“I had an original Civic Type-R — the wild one — and while it was a lot of fun to play with, this one is so much more ... more mature,” he says. “It is a really nice little thing, and what a place to play with it.”

At the heart of the Type-R philosophy is Honda's free-spinning i-VTEC technology, with the power band high in the maximum 8000rpm rev range.

In the case of the Civic the car does not get on to the business end of the cam until 5400rpm, just when most of its rivals are coming to the end of their effective range.

“Keep it smooth and keep the revs up and you will get the best out this engine,” Davidson says. “I love it because it wants you to keep revving it, it's like a baby race engine.”

The naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre inline four offers peak power of 148kW at 7800rpm and 193Nm of torque at 5600rpm. While you might expect the Civic to suffer torque-envy against a bank of turbo-charged competitors — Mazda MPS, VW Golf GTi, Subaru WRX, Ford Focus XR5 — with up to 380Nm on tap from much lower in the rev range, there are other charms to be enjoyed.

Getting maximum return is a challenge but one that only adds to the enjoyment. Let the engine drop off the cam — anything below 4500rpm — and you will pay a huge penalty.

Urge drops away sharply and time's a wasting as you hunt down through the slick six-speed box to get back into the meat of the torque. Raw performance figures do not do the Type-R full justice. A 0-100km/h sprint of 6.6 seconds is reasonable while the claimed top speed of 235km/h seems achievable.

But on the open road the Type-R's track-happy suspension displays some real-world issues. On broken surfaces, particularly at low speeds, the ride is unsettled and can progress to uncomfortable on surface types such as the cobbled European roads.

Tyre roar is also intrusive on coarse chip surfaces — think Australia. But the steering is nicely weighted and pleasantly direct and the fully switchable traction control is gentle and non-intrusive until it is actually needed.

The brakes are a highlight: ventilated 300mm front and solid 260mm rear discs.