2020 Honda Civic Type R makes another stop at the Chicago Auto Show

MANILA: After making its world debut at the Tokyo Auto Salon last month, the 2020 Honda Civic Type R is also making rounds on the 112th annual Chicago Auto Show in a new paint color—Boost Blue. But besides wearing a new paint coat, the U.S. —debuted 2020 Honda Civic Type R also gets minor tweaks and updates for performance enhancements. Particularly, changes in the bodywork and mechanical components for better driving dynamics.

Speaking about the enhancements, Honda spokesperson Davis Adams said that “most of what’s changed in the car is underneath… The suspension is firmer in its most aggressive modes for aggressive driving in +R, and then it’s also more compliant when you put it in Comfort.”

One of these enhancements were done on the brakes. Honda engineers developed new two-piece brake rotors that come with upgraded brake pads to reduce fade and improve braking efficiency at high speeds. Another update carried out on the US version of the 2020 Honda Civic Type R is the revised front suspension components and steering for even better grip and handling. And for a more comfortable riding quality, the Type R’s dampers were also optimized, though Honda did not want to divulge too many details on the new damper tech that they used.

The most visual change for the Type R is its redesigned front grille for better engine cooling. Adams said this change is significant because “there’s more airflow into the front of the car, which is important because early Type Rs were having overheating challenges in some cases with super high-performance track driving, they were getting too hot too early, so this mitigates it.”

Inside, the new Honda Civic Type R boasts of a new Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel, a new shifter with shorter throws. Honda Sensing— the brand's suite of safety and driving-assist systems, will also come standard on all 2020 Civic Type R.

Under the hood, the 2020 Type R still features the same race-bred 2.0-liter direct-injected and turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with VTEC™ valvetrain which delivers 306 hp of maximum output and 400 Nm of peak torque. The power is sent to the two front wheels and delivered through a 6-speed manual transmission. And just like the Type R debuted last month on Tokyo, this Civic also comes in three driving modes: Comfort, Sport, and +R which shifts the suspension firmness, steering, and throttle for the car to be more responsive.

Price, specifications, and other details for the 2020 Honda Civic Type R will be announced at a later date before it goes on sale in the latter part of 2020. Currently, the 2019 Honda Civic Type R is available on our shores for Php 2.98 million.

Also Read: Honda debuts the Civic Type R TC designed for the race track