Honda brought out an all-new, redesigned Civic sedan and hatchback earlier this year. Now it’s time for the speedy models.
The Honda Civic isn’t simply a reliable economy car. There are Civics that are affordable, dependable, and designed to hold their value. But there are also Civics with features you might associate with luxury cars. There are Civic sedans and roomy Civic hatchbacks. And there are high-performance Civics designed to raise your heartbeat between stoplights.
Two of them. The halo of the pair, the more expensive Civic Type R, will appear soon. Honda has released teaser photos hinting at a quick Type R based on the Civic Hatchback.
But there is also a more affordable performance-oriented Civic. The Civic Si has its own rich history dating back to the early 1980s. While not quite the race-inspired Type R, Civic Si models have traditionally been quicker than the standard Civic but still readily equipped for commuting and family hauling duties.
The 2022 Civic Si is based on the Civic sedan. That gives buyers a sporty option in both the hatchback and sedan body styles.
Honda hasn’t discussed pricing for the Civic Si yet. The standard Civic sedan starts at $21,900 and climbs to $28,500 in its most expensive, Touring trim. Honda also charges a $1,015 destination fee. The Si will likely be priced slightly above the Touring model, but below the Type R.
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Engine Retuned for Stoplight-to-Stoplight Fun
Under the hood, you’ll find a 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. It’s the same engine available on the Civic EX and Touring models. But engineers have retuned it to make more of its power accessible at city street speeds. Output is technically down a bit – 200 horsepower instead of 205 – but Honda says the power is more usable.
Since our reaction to an engine’s performance grows through several senses, they’ve also retuned the exhaust note. “To complement the engine’s natural exhaust note inside the cabin, Civic Si uses an improved Active Sound Control system that can produce high-quality sound over a wider range of engine rpm,” Honda says.
That power flows through a 6-speed manual transmission. The other Civic sedan models are available only with a continuously variable transmission. Borrowed from the Civic Type R, the manual in the Si offers a rev-matching throttle blip.
Many Tweaks to Improve Handling
Handling should be crisp and precise. A standard helical limited-slip differential, stiffened steering, and retuned suspension dampers get the credit for that. The rear suspension setup is shared with the upcoming Type R.
Drivers can select from Normal and Sport driving modes or create their own customized mode “that allows the driver to individually select engine response, steering effort, and instrument panel display color parameters,” Honda says.
Subtly Different Exterior. Less Subtlety Inside
Exterior changes are subtle. The Si gets the front fascia from the Civic hatchback, grafted to the body of the Civic sedan. It also sports an exclusive grille and badges, gloss-black side mirrors and window trim, and a subtle rear lip spoiler.
You might not want casual observers to know your Civic is something special. But you’d surely want it to feel unique once you climbed inside. Accordingly, the interior is not so understated. More heavily bolstered bucket seats are embossed with the Si logo. Red contrast stitching throughout the cabin adds to the sporty look. A red line across the dashboard and aluminum pedals do the same.
A 9-inch central touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a Bose 12-speaker sound system are all standard. So is the Honda Sensing suite of driver aids, which includes automatic emergency braking designed to detect pedestrians and bicyclists, adaptive cruise control, and traffic sign recognition that will warn the driver of speed limits. Which seems like a good idea in a car designed to tempt you to go over them.
Class of 2022: All the New and Redesigned Cars, Trucks, and SUVs
