Key highlights:
- Civic Type R gets improved cooling and sharper +R damping
- Heated sports seats arrive with high-friction upholstery
- Australia awaits confirmation of the updated model’s arrival
The Honda Civic Type R has received a series of technical and cabin upgrades in the US, including improved cooling, sharper chassis tuning, and heated sports seats. Honda has announced the updates for the current-generation hot hatch, with US dealer arrivals scheduled for October 2026.
Honda Australia hasn’t confirmed when the updated Civic Type R will arrive in Australia, but it is expected in the first half of 2027.
Mechanical, cooling and handling upgrades
The biggest mechanical changes start at the front of the Civic Type R, where the redesigned front bumper improves cooling for the K20C1 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
Australian-market models currently produce 235kW and 420Nm from the engine, and the engine receives a new retro-inspired cover, but there are no other powertrain changes for the update.
| Specification | 2027 Honda Civic Type R |
|---|---|
| Engine | 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder |
| Combined output | 235kW / 420Nm |
| Transmission | 6-speed manual |
| Drive type | Front-wheel drive |
The revised front fascia also gains a deeper front splitter, designed to generate more front-end downforce and improve road holding.
Honda says the standard Brembo brakes now deliver a “more direct pedal feel,” and the change comes from a new yoke spring added to the brake pedal assembly.
The standard six-speed manual transmission also receives an improved rev-matching system, designed to deliver faster engine response and smoother downshifts.
Honda has also retuned the damping settings for the most aggressive of the Civic Type R’s four drive modes, ‘+R’.
The revised damper setting reduces “bouncing and impact harshness”, according to Honda, improving stability in +R mode and potentially sharpening the car’s point-to-point capability.
New colour joins the range
The 2027 Civic Type R gets a new exterior colour called Meteorite Gray Metallic (NH-904M), and the colour hasn’t previously been offered on the current-generation Type R in any other country.
However, Australian Honda buyers may recognise it. The same shade was previously offered as Meteoroid Grey on the top-selling Honda CR-V, as well as the Accord sedan and HR-V SUV.
Also read: Honda Super-One aims to make small EVs fun to drive
Cabin upgrades: Type R gets heated bucket seats
Honda has made a notable change inside the cabin, with the sports bucket seats now available with heating for the first time, with three temperature settings. The seats also receive a new high-friction perforated upholstery design with black striping.
Honda says the material is designed to reduce occupant movement during cornering, while its greater breathability can help reduce fatigue.
Its other interior changes include:
- Diamond-pattern trim with a black surround
- Black air-vent and climate-control knobs
- Ultrasuede across the top of the instrument panel
- Ultrasuede front-door triem
- Silver front-door trim
- Darker-grey aluminium shifter knob
- Darker-grey door handles
- Darker-grey console trim
- New auto-dimming mirror for US models
The auto-dimming mirror is already standard on the Australian Civic Type R.
The updated US model also gains Google Built-in through its 9.0-inch central touchscreen, which includes Google Gemini, a feature already available on the Australian Civic Type R.
Two USB-C ports have also been added to the centre console above the standard wireless smartphone charger, and among the less glamorous changes, Honda has fitted a new horn.
Will Australia get the updated Type R?
Honda Australia hasn’t confirmed local timing for the updated Civic Type R, and the most recent batch for Australia consisted of 98 cars offered in July 2026 for $85,000 drive-away. Honda Australia said half of those cars sold within the first day after order books opened.
Honda Australia director Rob Thorp said in July that the company was “pretty confident” another shipment would be offered in Australia in 2027, although there has been no further confirmation of fresh arrivals.
The current FL5-generation Civic Type R first went on sale in Australia in early 2023, after order books opened in December 2022, and that launch followed Tony D’Alberto winning the Australian TCR championship in 2022 in the outgoing FK8 Civic Type R.
The Type R badge will also celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2027. Honda introduced the original EK9 Civic Type R in Japan in 1997, although Australia didn’t officially receive the hot hatch until the FN2 series arrived in 2007.
The current Civic has been on sale since 2021, with a new generation expected in 2028 and the next Civic Type R is also expected to arrive that year.
Honda’s return of the Prelude coupe in 2026 has also fuelled speculation about a hotter version. The new Prelude uses the same underpinnings as the Civic, prompting fans to speculate about what could become the first Prelude Type R, but Honda hasn’t revealed any plans to build one.
Comments
New Comment