Road Test of the Year 2017: Honda Civic Type R

In the look-at-me stakes, Honda’s new Civic Type R screams attention-seeker louder than an Instagram infuencer. With trying- too-hard fins, an over-sized wing and ice-white paintwork, it’s the sort of car you need to be sure you don’t mind people pointing, and sometimes laughing, at when you’re driving it down the street.

You see, when it comes to looks, Honda appears to have added needless frippery to its new Type R. The manufacturer will tell you it’s about aerodynamics and downforce, but does that really matter on the A34?

No, what matters is the fact people will think you’ve added the adornments yourself after a spending spree in Halfords. Inside, it’s far less shouty and much more traditional Honda. It’s a combination of harder plastics, an infotainment system that isn’t up to the standards of rivals and a seating position you’ll either love or hate.

All that is soon forgotten, though. Honda has sprinkled magic dust on this Type R and generated a machine that’s utterly fabulous on the road. Fast, grippy and with a gearbox that delights, it’s a hot hatch to take the fight to the very best in its class.

The large, winged bucket seats are immediately comfortable, and the driving position suits us. Thumb the large starter button and there’s a real cackle from the exhaust – it’s exactly how every hot hatch should sound when it fires into life.

Moving off, on to the surprisingly smooth asphalt that only occasionally crops up in the area of South Wales we’re testing in, and the Type R feels well set up. The ride is firm, that’s for sure, but then you almost expect that with a car like this. A small amount of jostling is part and parcel of a hot hatch – particularly a fast Honda.

Though the Civic Type R feels quick, the real surprise is just how much speed you can carry through corners. The body is 38 per cent stiffer than the car it replaces, and this added rigidity makes itself known almost everywhere.

The turn-in is quick, but the limited-slip differential fitted means you can fire the R into bends and it’ll just grip and grip. The whole experience is helped no end by the car’s seating position, which is 50mm lower than the older Civic Type R. This gives you the ability to get low in the car, and transforms the entire drive.

When the non-R Civic was launched sometime last year, most people knew that it featured a chassis which could benefit from an awful lot more power. The R saw to that – and then some.

There’s next to no body roll, and the front two wheels cope admirably with the 316bhp being sent through them. You won’t torque steer either – the steering stays unaffected even when accelerating hard, and this gives you a huge amount of confidence.

You could argue the location played into the hands of the Type R – green, rolling hills and mountains coupled with tight, technical roads contributed heavily to the hot hatch experience. It’s a match made in driving heaven.

However, the Type R has always been slightly tarred by that ‘boy racer’ brush. But despite that needlessly big wing, this car has got a real character to it. Even the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine under the bonnet has its own personality.

When the rain came, boy did the R get better. Yes, there’s a good degree of scrabble from the front tyres once the tarmac gets a soaking as the rubber struggles for traction, but after that the Civic continues to impress.

Everything about it feels alive. The short, notchy six-speed manual is a joy to use while the characterful engine provides more than enough shove to keep things interesting. Put simply, it’s a far more involving car to drive than you’d expect.

On these roads, the Type R seems perfect. Yes, it has its interior foibles and you’ll have to get used to some strange looks from passers-by, but on Welsh A-roads when the sun is (occasionally) shining, there are few cars quite like it.

FACTS AT A GLANCE

Price (as tested): £33,520
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol
Power: 316bhp, 400Nm
Top speed: 169mph
0-60mph: 5.5 seconds
Fuel economy: 36.7mpg
Emissions: 176g/km