The Honda Civic Type R has been updated in the US with a range of technical upgrades alongside cabin tweaks, not the least of which is a new horn.
The changes to the current generation were announced by American Honda Motor, with arrivals in US dealers scheduled for October 2026.
Honda Australia hasn’t confirmed when updated models will be offered here.
The most recent batch of 98 Civic Type Rs for Australia was offered in July 2026, priced at $85,000 drive-away, with Honda Australia saying half of them were sold within the first day of order books opening.
Honda Australia director Rob Thorp told CarExpert in July the company was ‘pretty confident’ another shipment of Civic Type Rs will be offered here in 2027, although there has been no further news confirming fresh arrivals.
Meanwhile, the changes for the US include a redesigned front bumper to provide better cooling to the K20C1 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which on Australian models makes 235kW and 420Nm.
The engine gets a new retro-inspired engine cover but no other changes for the update, while the front fascia also includes a deeper front splitter to deliver more front-end downforce for improved road holding.
Honda says the standard Brembo brakes now have a “more direct pedal feel” thanks to a new yoke spring added to the pedal assembly.
The standard six-speed manual has an improved rev-matching system for faster engine responsiveness and smoother downshifts, while there are also retuned damping settings when in the most aggressive of the four drive modes, ‘+R’.
Honda said the revised damper setting reduces “bouncing and impact harshness”, improving stability when in +R mode, which should improve point-to-point capability.
The 2027 Civic Type R also comes in a new colour, Meteorite Gray Metallic (NH-904M), not offered on the current Type R in any other country, but previously offered as Meteoroid Grey on the top-selling Honda CR-V SUV, as well as the Accord sedan and HR-V SUV in Australia.
Inside, the updated Type R cabin comes with heated versions of its sports bucket seats for the first time, with three different temperature settings.
The seats also come with a new ‘high-friction’ perforated upholstery design with black striping, which Honda said is designed to reduce slippage for occupants while cornering, with greater breathability reducing fatigue.
Cosmetic interior changes include a diamond-pattern trim with black surround, black air-vent and climate control knobs, and Ultrasuede material fitted to the top of the instrument panel and front doors, teamed with silver trim on the front doors.
The aluminium shifter knob is finished in a darker grey, as are the door handles and console trim, while there’s a new auto-dimming mirror for US models, which is already standard on the Australian Civic Type R.
Also already offered in Australia, but new for the US, is Google Built-in, including Google Gemini, accessible via the 9.0-inch centre touchscreen. Two USB-C ports have been added to the centre console above the standard wireless phone charger.
The current Civic has been on sale since 2021, with a new generation expected in 2028 and the next Type R also expected to launch that year.
The current FL5 Civic Type R first went on sale in Australia in early 2023 after order books opened in December 2022, the same year Tony D’Alberto claimed the Australian TCR championship in the outgoing FK8 Civic Type R.
The Civic Type R celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2027, with the original EK9 Civic Type R introduced in Japan in 1997, but the hot hatch wasn’t officially sold here until the FN2 series in 2007.
The return of the Honda Prelude coupe in 2026, using the same underpinnings as the Civic, has fans salivating over what would be the first Prelude Type R, but Honda hasn’t revealed any plans to produce one.