JDM Civic Type R gets 330hp, £31k price
Honda is still warming itself up for Euro-specific numbers, but the Japanese model is already on sale
You might recall it was just last week that we ‘confirmed’ 320hp for the FL5. Well, as we noted at the time, that was for the US-spec car, and we left the door ajar for regional variations - which is lucky, because alongside the announcement of a price in its home market, Honda has since confirmed that the JDM-spec model will deliver 330hp at 6,500rpm (or 243kW, if you’re inclined to check it). Obviously that figure would tally with the manufacturer’s claim of it being the most powerful Civic Type R ever, and it confirms a widely anticipated 10hp and 15lb ft improvement over the car’s predecessor.
While still denying us an official 0-62mph time and top speed for the FL5 (or at least we think it does: our Japanese is admittedly not great) the press information does now suggest a 1,430kg kerbweight. And while we don’t know how that’s been measured, it puts it in a similar ballpark to the FK8, which was rated at 1,405kg (the lighter, pricier Limited Edition version was said to be 1,358kg).
Consequently, modest gains in power and weight suggest very similar straight-line performance from the FK8. The JDM site dedicated to selling the FL5 reckons you can also expect to see 12.5km/l fuel economy, which works out to about 35.3mpg, too. Again, this would represent a marginal gain over the outgoing Civic Type R, although that too is likely to be at the mercy of regional variations. Of course, the most notable additional piece of information is the price: in Japan, the new car starts at 4,997,300 yen, which is inclusive of local ‘consumption tax’.
A trip to your nearest currency converter will tell you that in pounds sterling, an FL5 would set you back around £30,900 - the sort of figure that would have UK fans feverish with money-down excitement. Needless to say, you can banish any thought of that starting price appearing on windscreens in this country; the FK8 kicked off at £34,820 when it was treated to a minor model change in 2020 - expect the FL5 to comfortably overshadow that price when it finally goes on sale over here later this year.
The only extra I paid for was 5 year servicing, warranty & breakdown @ £950.
33K all in Sept 2019.
Thats the beauty of Jap cars, all the goodies are included.
If a GR Yaris is £37k minimum in the current market, even at £38k for a larger, no less special car - with a boot and two proper rear seats - this is good value. I’ll work on convincing the wife to get one.
The only extra I paid for was 5 year servicing, warranty & breakdown @ £950.
33K all in Sept 2019.
Thats the beauty of Jap cars, all the goodies are included.
ker getting off the line I do like these, and the predecessor, but 4 seats only means its not one to consider for a second car for a family of five...
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