A build of pure sports performance, the most powerful street-legal Honda Type R to date, the all-new Honda Civic Type R.

Alias FL5, the 2023 sixth-generation fastback is fully-imported (CKD - Japan), based on the 11th-generation Civic, and a successor to the FK8-generation Type R.

Priced at MYR 399,900 (OTR, w/o insurance), with a five-year, unlimited mileage warranty and a five-year/100,000 KM free labour service (five times within period).

Order books are open now till October 15. Only 19 units (first batch), more to come in 2024. Buyers are decided by Honda Malaysia via a ballot system.

Exterior colour. Championship White.

Aggressive and sporty, its exterior boasts a long, low and wide stance, packaged in a five-door fastback body style.

A commanding presence, the front-end sees a vented hood, flared fenders and an aerodynamically-sculpted bumper. 

Featured on the latter is a new honeycomb-mesh grille, paired to an enormous lower centre with slit-like corner bumper air-intakes.

Accentuating the layout is the Honda and Type R emblems, integrated with the grille and finished in red. 

Slightly protruding, it furthers the aggressively sporty appeal, complementing the front with angularly-rounded lines.

Sharp and smooth, the rear-end gets a hatchback-style roofline, flared fenders, and an aerodynamically-sculpted bumper.

Incorporated is a striking aluminium-based spoiler (Type R Wing), accompanied by a large diffuser and slit-like corner vents. 

The diffuser sees a centre-triple-circular-exhaust setup (active valve). Completing the layout is the Honda and Type R emblems finished in red. 

Framed aerodynamically sharp, the head lamps project a very focused and determined outlook.

Installed are LED units with L-shaped LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL), and automatic On/Off and high beam functions.

Wrapped-around and angularly sleek, the tail lamps add abundance to the overall outlook. Installed are LED combination units, paired to a set of fog lamps.

Black-capped, the side mirrors are electronically powered (adjust, fold) with turn signals, and blind-spot monitor indicators.

Fitted are Brembo brakes (front - two-piece rotor), ventilated (front) and solid (rear) discs. Aiding the drive is an Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) with Auto Brake Hold system.

Latching it to the asphalt is a set of 19-Inch five-V-spoke matte black alloy rims, rubbered-up in 265/30Z R19 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres.

Cockpit of the 2023 Civic Type R receives the classic Type R treatment, sporty, dual-toned (red, black) and driver-focused.

Purpose-built, the dashboard is decked in black soft- and hard-touch panels with aluminium trims as a detailing finish.

Filling the layout is a centre-mounted touchscreen, and a full-width honeycomb-mesh air-conditioning vent with a serialised Type R plaque (passenger side).

Linked underneath are Type R stainless steel sport pedals, and in the centre an aluminium trimmed centre console with a teardrop-shaped aluminium gear lever.

Overall, every accessibility is well laid out, arranged non-cluttered with easy reachability.

Interior of the four-seater sedan furthers the Type R treatment, featuring upholstery in new suede-style fabric (red) with Type R logo embroidery (front headrest).

According to Honda, the new upholstery has a high-friction coefficient, which reduces body slippage in high-G driving situations.

Fitted up front are Type R sport seats (adjustments - manual, driver height), and the rear gets a two-seater bench (60:40 split-fold).

Completing the space is an ambient lighting system (front - door, roof), Type R seat belts and floor mats (red).

The space is sufficient and borderline generous. It offers plenty of head, shoulder and leg rooms, thus front and rear occupants get ample mobility.

Mounted is a three-spoke Type R steering wheel, wrapped in black Alcantara with red contrast stitching. 

Featured are multi-switches (media, vehicle settings), column adjustments (tilt, telescopic), and an Electric Power Steering (EPS) system.

Provided are several outlets. One 12 V socket, two USB ports and a wireless charger. 

The 2023 Civic Type R gets the following suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).

Incorporated is the Honda Sensing suite, featuring Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS), Road Departure Mitigation (RDM), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Auto High Beam (AHB), and Lead Car Departure Notification (LCDN).

Others include Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA), Auto Brake Hold (ABH), Hill Start Assist (HSA), Limited Slip Differential (LSD), Agile Handle Assist (AHA), Emergency Stop Signal (ESS), and Honda Connect telematic system (safety, security, convenience).

Passive safety includes eight airbags (driver-passenger, front knee, front side, front-rear curtain), seat belts (anchors, reminders, pre-tensioners), ISOFIX (two - outer-rear), parking cameras (reverse - multi-angle), parking sensors (four - front, rear), driver attention monitor, and security alarm with immobiliser.

Four drive modes at the drive’s disposal. Comfort, Sport, +R, Individual.

Mated to the mill is a six-speed manual transmission.

Power is sent to the front wheels, Front-Wheel Drive (FWD). Drive is aided by a helical-type limited-slip differential (LSD) and an automatic rev-matching system.

Acceleration from 0 to 100 KM/H is done in 5.5 seconds, and top speed is 272 KM/H.

Fuel tank is at a 47-Litre capacity, and the fuel consumption reads at 8.3-Litre for every 100 KM. 

The driving is agile and responsive, offering a sturdy handling. Interior-wise, it is purpose-built with cocooning sport seats, and other amenities.

Suspension-wise, fitted is a setup of dual-axis strut (front) and multi-link (rear), accompanied by an adaptive damper system. 

Sound insulation is adequate with the NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) factored in. The cabin is able to suppress wind, road and tyre noises well, making them barely noticeable.