See How Honda Civic Type R Stacks Up To Competition

The all-new 2023 Honda Civic Type R arrives this fall, and Honda Civic fans are going to be very happy with some of the changes to the Type R. The car will have significant upgrades in many areas, but we know fans want to hear about horsepower and Torque, so please see the chart below.

The new 2023 Civic Type R will produce a class-leading 315 hp. Well, class-matching if you want to be precise. The VW Golf Type R has the same rating. However, the Civic beats the Golf’s torque value with a whopping 310 ft-lbs. Only the Mazda3 Turbo can beat that figure, only by a smidge, and only when using premium fuel.

Related Story: All-New 2023 Honda Civic Type R Gets One Big Upgrade - Can You Guess What It Is?

The Civic Type R employs a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine which now produces 315 horsepower @ 6,500 rpm (SAE net). Torque is impressive. 310 lb.-ft. at 2,600 – 4,000 rpm (SAE net). That is an improvement of 9 hp and 15 lb.-ft over its prior generation when using the same methods of measurement. Honda says that its Civic Type R is one of the most powerful cars in its class per liter, with a specific output of 157.8 hp/liter, up a bit from the previous generation's 153.3.

To help create this power and keep the engine operating properly, Honda added a larger grille opening, dropped in a bigger radiator and installed a new large-diameter fan to improve engine cooling. These changes are designed to ensure sustained, optimal performance during extreme driving. An active exhaust valve opens at higher rpm to heighten and enhance the sound of the engine. No need to “fart can exhaust” your Civic. Honda took care of it for you.

The power is delivered via just the front wheels. Boo! Everyone prefers rear or all-wheel drive, but do you really want to pay for a custom platform for a relatively low volume of cars? Honda doesn’t think so, and neither do we. Affordable fun is Honda’s specialty, and we trust this new Civic Type R will deliver class-leading fun per dollar. There is a limited-slip differential to help keep the power controllable.

Watch for a full review here in the coming months.

2023 Civic Type R engine image courtesy of Honda

John Goreham is a long-time New England Motor Press Association member and recovering engineer. John's interest in EVs goes back to 1990 when he designed the thermal control system for an EV battery as part of an academic team. After earning his mechanical engineering degree, John completed a marketing program at Northeastern University and worked with automotive component manufacturers, in the semiconductor industry, and in biotech. In addition to Torque News, John's work has appeared in print in dozens of American news outlets and he provides reviews to many vehicle shopping sites. You can follow John on TikTok @ToknCars, on Twitter, and view his credentials at Linkedin

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