Remember the iconic Honda Civic SiR? If you had one back in the day (especially in Passion Orange), you were the envy of many. It was the best budget sporty sedan at the time, and stock units fetch premium prices to this day (if you can find one). While the Type R is flag-bearer of the model range, it sacrifices some creature comforts for performance—something that not all people would want.
Enter the latest Civic Si. This sporty-but-still-comfortable trim level is based off the 11th-generation sedan. Its 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine is mated to a short-throw six-speed manual gearbox with rev-matching software. Output is rated at 200hp and 260Nm. This may not sound like much, but you’ll reach peak torque early and across a wider rev range (1,800-5,000rpm).
Combine this with a lighter single-mass flywheel, a new dual-coil exhaust system, and a helical limited-slip differential, and you already begin to have a recipe for a fun-to-drive sedan.
But all of these are useless if the car doesn’t handle properly. Thankfully, the Civic Si receives some upgrades in this department with a wider track and slightly longer wheelbase, uprated suspension for better steering feel (stiffer springs, reinforced mounts, thicker stabilizer bars, and Type R bushings), and larger brakes all around. It’s all topped off with matte-black 18-inch 10-spoke wheels shod in 235mm-wide all-season performance tires.
Of course, it receives a bit of visual flair to distinguish itself from its lesser siblings with redesigned bumpers, exposed dual exhaust tips, and a small trunk-lid spoiler. Gloss-black accents also adorn the spoiler, mirrors and window trim, and the Blazing Orange Pearl finish is unique to the Si.
The interior receives licks of red paint (of course, as red is the color of sportiness) with Si-exclusive bolstered sport seats to hold you in place as you carve corners. It also gets a nine-inch infotainment screen (with Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay) and a new 12-speaker Bose sound system. Other than that, it features the same improvements as the 11th-generation Civic like Honda Sensing and the new funky honeycomb interior theme.
Prices for the Si have yet to be announced, but we think Honda Cars Philippines should bring in this model (instead of an “RS” trim) and maybe call it the SiR. We’re sure this’ll sell like hotcakes considering the popularity of other performance vehicles like the Toyota GR Yaris.
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