The New 2023 Honda Civic Type R From Every Angle

Listen: I was never a fan of the FK8 Civic Type R, or the 8th-gen Civic’s design in general. It was silly, over-the-top, childish. Like Honda didn’t believe in the car’s abilities, so they had to play up everything about it from a visual standpoint to make up for that. The new Type R does not have this problem. I don’t reckon it’s the prettiest car on the road, but it’s much better, and a lot of that has to do with the sleeker, slimmer profile and wider overall presence.

Honda considers the new Civic Type R a hatchback. It isn’t. Liftback, sure, but the greenhouse comes down at a very gradual rake, as opposed to the steepness of, say, the back of a Golf R or GR Corolla. That’s fine — I’m all for different styles and interpretations in this already limited segment, but a hatchback this Civic is not.

Changing the subject, the triple exhaust is back! And look at that wing. Remember it; we’ll circle back.

The front of the 11th-gen Civic sort of looks dented to my eyes, but I do appreciate the simplicity with which Honda has let the new Type R’s lower grille fill the space in the bumper. It’s clean, smooth, and again, completely the opposite flavor from the old car.

The new Civic sedan has great taillights, using negative black space in the housing to lend jewel-like complexity and texture to the cluster. The hatch squeezes that portion and wraps the LED strip around it, which I don’t like quite as much. I’ve also grown tired of heckblendes these days. It’s not bad, though — just different.

Here we get a side angle of the new rear wing. I love the function-first scaffold-style supports, and how it’s thin but bowed in the middle. Wing aside, Honda says the new Type R sports reduced drag compared to its predecessor.

This is a great shot by our photographer Ernest Crosby, and while there’s nothing particularly special about the launch Type R’s wheel design, the matte finish looks excellent against the glossy Championship White paint, and I’m in love with the shadows it’s casting on that red Brembo caliper. Also, peep the vent behind the wheel in the fender; Honda says it’s not for show, and is designed for the precise channeling of airflow.

Have you ever seen a valve stem like this before? I hadn’t, so I sent Honda an email about it; I’ll let you know what they say. It’s mounted deeper in the rim than usual and comes out at a 90-degree angle, with what appears to be supports that are a part of the wheel’s casting. Weird, but very sturdy-looking.

I have never sat in a new Civic, but I’m very much a fan of how the interior looks in pictures. The unbroken climate vent treatment is very novel and almost retro, owing to that honeycomb pattern. What I like about the Type R’s take is that, aside from the obviously red seats and the presence of an aluminum-trimmed knob in the middle, it doesn’t scream “the fast one” to me. That’s a good thing.

Honda’s infotainment system offers loads of performance-themed readouts for the Civic Type R, including boost pressure, oil temperature and oil pressure. That’s great but, me being me, I cannot ignore the fact that because Honda’s UI is based on Android, the company is just using Google’s Roboto font for everything. Swap in a different font! A little brand identity never hurt nobody, Honda.

This is all in addition to a new “+R” driving mode which presents in the instrument cluster and “allows the driver to obtain necessary information instantly, with a graphic engine rpm display, rev indicator lights, and gear position indicator placed at the top.”

They’re not suede, but they look like it. According to Honda, they’re actually made of “suede-like upholstery with a high friction coefficient” that “reduces body slippage in high-G driving situations.” Body slippage is no good.

Honda had to cut costs in its range-topping Civic somewhere, and so rear seat passengers sit on a bench that looks decidedly standard, with some red stitching but none of the red upholstery we see up front. At least the red carpet continues through to the back, and, because it’s a Civic, rear-seat legroom will be very reasonable.

Performance figures for the “even more powerful and responsive version of Honda’s award-winning turbocharged 2.0-liter engine” remain shrouded in mystery, but at least you can appreciate it with your eyes here. I’m usually not one for plastic engine covers, but this one looks very nice and the pop of red is appreciated.

The transformation wouldn’t be completed without a serialized plate inside the interior to remind you and all of your passengers that you have one of the special Civics. I like the placement; it sits well on the climate vent.

That’s all the original photography we have of Honda’s next performance flagship for now. Why not let us know down in the comments what you think of it? That’s what they’re there for! From here on out, the next photos you see will be provided by Honda. Enjoy!