2026 Honda Civic Reviews

The Civic Type R might be the best front-wheel drive hot hatch ever built. It's almost certainly one of the greatest cars of this century so far. In fact, you can meet me outside if you reckon the Type R isn’t the most capable sports car of its kind ever built. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get into why. The 2026 Honda Civic Type R, at an uncomfortable $85,000, drive-away, isn’t a car you can just go and buy. At least not all the time. The latest run launched in July this year, with just a tick under 100 units anticipated for local buyers. Deliveries start in December. It’s more expensive than another benchmark rival, the VW Golf R, by almost $15,000 and it’s not as practical to live with. But even though you can run your daily errands in the Civic Type R, that would be doing it a disservice. See, the Type R is a five-door hatchback with only four seats, and the front two are very figure-hugging sports bucket seats. It’s also only available in manual, so that rules it off the list for some seeking an easy daily driver.  Its 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine is probably a bit much for the daily grind, too, producing 235kW and 420Nm and sending that entirely through the front wheels. But there is a Comfort mode, and you even get a wireless phone charger. Heated seats? No, but the climate controls are always there - because they’re physical buttons and knobs. And the knobs are delightfully clicky. This is all to say that when you shell out your $85K, you’re paying more for what’s under the metal than the mod-cons in the cabin. Here’s what you do get: 10.2-inch digital driver display  9.0-inch multimedia touchscreen Wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto Digital and AM/FM radio Bluetooth and USB connectivity Eight-speaker audio LogR performance data tracking system  Red suede-style upholstery Type R sports bucket front seats Alloy shift knob Alloy sports pedals Wireless phone charger Dual-zone climate control Keyless entry with push button start LED headlights (auto-levelling and dusk-sensing) and tail-lights 19-inch black alloy wheels Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres (265/30 ZR19) It all comes together in a package that looks rather aggressive and modern, but feels just far enough removed from the software-driven cars of today that it’s still focused on the driving experience. The exterior styling in particular when it comes to the FL5 Type R (launched in 2023) compared to the more angular FK8 that proceeded it seems to be less divisive. It looks slightly less like it’s come off the screen of an anime, for better or worse. Some specific praise can be levelled at the toning-down of decorative elements that made the FK8 look overly busy. But that doesn’t mean it’s any less suited to total road domination. The FK8, a car I spent plenty of time in during the late 2010s, won awards all over the world for its prowess.  I’ve driven the FL5 on track, but not on public bitumen before this road test. It was immediately obvious this car holds the same ability to turn from a sharp yet manageable city car into a slick corner-hunting weapon outside of urban areas. Nothing had been lost between FK8 and FL5. Praise be. The current Type R continues to be arguably the most capable hot hatch around, with its individual elements - steering, brakes, clutch, all of it - working perfectly and obediently to make this Civic move as quickly as possible. And with little fuss. The front tyres are surely working hard, but there’s mechanical grip in abundance and the helical limited-slip differential ensures traction. It also does this without sacrificing ride quality. Even in Comfort there’s cornering ability on tap, while Sport or R+ don’t turn the chassis into a giant shaker. It's the rear axle that’s particularly impressive, though. Its multi-link rear follows the MacPherson and dual-axis strut fronts with such compliance it’s as if the engineers whipped a fear of rebelling into the Type R’s back-end. During most road tests, there’s little point in trying to push a car - even a sports car - to 10 tenths. Most people won’t and it’s not sensible to try. But, more than most cars, the Type R feels like you could if you wanted to. On a winding road outside of Melbourne, the Type R felt mechanically flawless. Its shift-feel is smooth but decisive, steering is precise and weighted perfectly for input adjustment, throttle response and brakes require no guesswork, and even its seat should hold most drivers in a sturdy position. No notes. The boring bits when it comes to Type R ownership aren’t as grim as you might expect from such a pricey hot hatch. Where some performance cars would push fuel consumption into double-figures, the Type R’s mill only sipped 8.9L/100km on a very spirited route with some highway driving either side. Its claimed consumption under WLTP testing is 7.1L, so that feels reasonably achievable. Honda’s warranty and service schedule is also decent, all things considered. The five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty is starting to feel the bare minimum, but Honda’s $199 capped price for the first five services (every 10,000km or 12 months) is excellent.