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What's the difference?
Before we dive in, this isn’t your typical road test.
That’s because there’s no road, per se. Instead, the majority of what you’re about to read comes from The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia.
You’ve read the headline, though, so you’re probably putting it all together: a Honda Civic Type R on a well-liked race track must be bliss. Let’s find out.
A very quick catch-up for those not in the know. The Honda Civic Type R (or CTR if you like) is the brand’s only performance model on sale after the demise of the NSX supercar.
The current (FL5) CTR is a little over a year old, having been launched internationally in late 2022, but has only been on Aussie shores for a little while. In fact, we’ve already reviewed it for the road, back in April.
But Honda Australia was keen to get media behind the wheel in a setting it says the CTR thrives in - a racetrack. Its predecessor was a car loved almost universally, can this one live up to the new standard?
How much does size matter to you? Do you think price should be relative to the size of a vehicle? Or do you think it's more about quality, performance and features?
There are plenty of people that think price should equate to how much metal you get, and they will, quite rightly, be shocked by the price of the new-generation Skoda Fabia hatch.
But if you've previously considered an entry-level light or small car from a premium brand, but perhaps been underwhelmed by the standard equipment list, then the new Fabia could be the answer.
For its fourth-generation, the Fabia has matured considerably, growing in size and carrying a more adult, premium look.
For now, you can only get the Fabia in one flavour, but that will likely change. Because as it stands, the former Euro city runabout remains out of reach for many buyers looking for a fun and affordable light car.
Has Skoda made a mistake positioning the Fabia as a semi-premium offering, or is it just the latest signal of a shift upmarket for the formerly cheap and quirky Czech brand?
In the realm of factory-built performance road cars for less than six-figures, the track capability offered by the Civic Type R is hard to rival.
The way it communicates and encourages smooth driving is impressive. Its mechanical grip limits are clear well before you reach them and the car is very forgiving with small slides and gentle lift-off oversteer. It lets you know you’re approaching the limits well before you hit ‘em.
Performance hatchbacks from Volkswagen, the Golf GTI and R, are arguably more useable day to day, but don’t come close dynamically. The Hyundai i30 N is wicked fun and deceptively capable for its lower price, but lacks the Type R’s high-shine polish.
Is the FL5 Type R pricey? Yes. Is it worth it? Maybe.
Is it probably the last time a purely combustion-powered hot hatch is going to be this good? Almost certainly.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.
For a lot of people looking for a light hatchback, the Fabia Monte Carlo simply won't be an option, because of the pricing. Luckily there are a number of other high-quality, yet more affordable models to choose from. Remember, that entry-price will come down eventually when a lower grade Fabia arrives.
But if you look at the Fabia as a rival to something with a fancier badge - say the aforementioned Audi and Mini - then it starts to make more sense. Neither of those models come close to the standard gear of the Fabia, and the Skoda offers practical features that no other brand has. Add in the fact that it is a joy to drive and the Fabia rises above those premium contenders by some margin.
So, if you're after an affordable runabout, look elsewhere. But if you were considering a more high-end brand of hatchback, the Fabia Monte Carlo is likely more than a match.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.
The last Type R was divisive to say the least - rather sharp and aggressive styling reminiscent of a robot from a 1990s anime, with plenty of design details and enough black trim to give white CTR’s that Star Wars stormtrooper vibe.
It was loved and hated, and there seemed to be few who found their opinion in the middle of those.
This generation changes that.
Much softer styling and a more restrained approach to detail makes this Type R look much more mature - for better or worse, depending on your view - than the last, though it hasn't lost much of its ‘look at me’ factor.
Sleeker headlights, softer lines in both body panels and in places like the grille, as well as a smaller hood vent are all clear.
Aerodynamics played a big part in the design of this car, with Honda Australia’s tech team telling us the time it spent in the wind tunnel during development was so long they wanted to get press photography done there.
The small flick or canard ahead of the rear wheel, for example, directs air into the rear wheel to cool the brakes.
Of course, there’s still a great big wing mounted to the rear. How else are you going to know it’s a Type R? For that, you could also look down to the tri-exit exhaust, we suppose.
There was something a bit odd and left of centre about the previous Fabia's design. It was tall and not particularly sleek, but it was still super appealing.
For the new generation, the Fabia has matured into a modern, handsome, even sleek European hatchback.
Being a Monte Carlo it gets a sporty body kit with gloss black highlights on the grille, front and rear bumper, the mirror caps and on the two-tone roof.
The bi-LED headlights, sharp-looking LED tail-lights and 18-inch black metallic brushed alloy wheels elevate the Fabia in Monte Carlo guise to one of the sexiest models in the segment.
That sporty look continues inside with Monte Carlo flourishes throughout. It gets a three-spoke flat-bottom leather sports steering wheel, red inserts on everything from the dash, doors, centre console and even the seats as part of a five-stripe motif, and aluminium finish pedals and carbon-fibre look inserts.
That splash of red, as well as the Fabia's dash and interior layout work well, although it's not as clean a design as the Polo. But it's hard to fault.
The Civic Type R is a four-seat hatchback, so if you were looking to cart four of your nearest and dearest around regularly, you may need to look elsewhere.
However, for a car that holds front-wheel drive lap records at circuits like Mount Panorama and indeed The Bend, it’s a pretty convenient thing.
Its tech behind the 9.0-inch multimedia screen is a little dated, but it’s still functional and most will use phone mirroring often enough that the native system is an occasional necessity.
In terms of the physical practicality, it benefits from the glow-up the standard Civic has undergone.
Physical controls for the climate remain (good!) and there are two very useable cupholders and a relatively well-sized storage bin under the elbow rest.
The seats are well-bolstered and comfortable in the front, providing the duality of a car that will hold you stable during track driving and be plush enough to keep you comfy on the drive home.
In the back, only two passengers can sit in the Type R despite the car being spacious enough for a third seat to at least be an option. Instead there’s a permanently accessible cupholder, but no armrest.
It is very spacious, with ample knee room and possibly even enough headroom for rear passengers to wear helmets if the idea of a four-up track lap takes your fancy.
Behind that, 411 litres of boot space is impressive for the segment, though the boot’s lip is fairly high and rounded at the sides.
The new-gen Fabia shares a vehicle platform with its Volkswagen Polo cousin and has grown in every dimension except height over the previous model.
Up front, you get a great driving position and feel lower to the ground, helping the connection with the road.
There's decent head and shoulder room in the front row, and those sports seats offer significant lateral support, almost hugging your torso. They are comfortable and the cloth trim gets a big tick from me.
The dash design and layout is bordering on busy but all controls are easy to identify. I will never understand why some carmakers insist on using a steering wheel stalk for the cruise control when it is much easier to operate from the steering wheel itself. Make it happen please, Skoda!
The sizeable 9.2-inch multimedia touchscreen uses capacitive touch and is relatively simple to navigate.
The Fabia has two USB-C ports up front and a 12-volt charge point in the central storage bin.
Speaking of, the central compartment is average in size but will fit a phone or two. For the moment, there is no removable front cupholder in the Fabia, but it is offered as an accessory. Skoda Australia said it was due to a mistake in ordering and that it will be fitted as standard in Fabias built from October onwards.
There's extra space next to the wireless charging pad for another device, the glove box is big, and there's ample room for big bottles in the door cavity. The Fabia comes with a number of Skoda touches - hello, umbrella in the door - including a tiny waste bin for the door storage, which I think is a simple but brilliant idea.
In the second row, you'll find lower air vents, a pair of USB-C ports, ISOFIX points on the outboard seats, three tether points and a small storage tray over the transmission tunnel. But you won't be able to fit larger bottles in the doors.
It is tight back there, too, especially behind my 183cm (six foot) driving position. The chunky sports seats seem to eat into rear seat legroom, so it will be interesting to see how much space there is in a lower grade model without those seats.
The Fabia's boot can swallow 380 litres with all seats in place, increasing to 1190L with rear seats lowered.
That is a bit more than the VW Polo (351L) but can't quite match its SUV stablemate, the Skoda Kamiq (400L).
Extra cargo features, standard on the Monte Carlo, include a luggage net system, extra hooks that can be attached to the rear ISOFIX hooks, and a multi-function storage hammock that can be used for delicate items or just extra security in the boot.
Honda’s relatively new retail business structure means some sting is taken out of the Civic Type R’s $72,600 price tag as it’s drive-away. No on-road fees.
But it’s still well north of the $50,990, before on-roads, the previous generation FK8 version started from, and there’s not a huge list of additional features you’ll find in the cabin.
Dual-zone climate control, a wireless smartphone charger, 9.0-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, ambient lighting, all features that didn’t garner much attention at 200km/h down The Bend’s main straight.
However, the Type R’s impressive 'LogR' track day telemetry and lap timing software, bright red bucket seats and Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel, aluminium pedals and gearshift knob made of the same were all put to proper use.
The LogR app for your smartphone allows you to take the data recorded by the CTR on track and analyse it, compare your lap with others (even from other drivers) at the same track, and can even automatically score and give feedback on your laps.
Personally, I wasn’t particularly upset to find out I was significantly slower than 2022 TCR Champion and general Australian motorsport veteran Tony D’Alberto.
There’s no sunroof, leather trim, seat heating or ventilation, no head-up display or even power-adjust for the driver’s seat. But more expensive (and sometimes less capable) sports cars are sold for more money with fewer mod-cons.
It's a good thing the new Fabia is packed with standard gear, because the price for the single-grade 110TSI Monte Carlo flagship is… $37,990 drive-away. That's a lot of dollars for a light hatchback.
Skoda Australia says that is approximately $8000 more expensive than the previous-generation Fabia Monte Carlo 70TSI. The company also says the new Fabia has more than $15,000 worth of additional equipment compared with its predecessor. And taking into account the price, that means there is $6700 worth of value gained.
Skoda is launching with the top-spec model because it believes it is more appealing to buyers and will get more attention than an entry-grade model. But, while Skoda Australia hasn't confirmed it yet, you can bet that there will be a more affordable model grade coming soon.
Unfortunately, there is no sign of the super practical wagon body style for this generation of Fabia.
Being a Monte Carlo, it comes with a sporty body kit and interior, and it gains a punchy 110kW turbocharged petrol engine. Any additional Fabia grades are likely to get the 1.0-litre 80TSI engine.
What else do you get for your $38k?
The Fabia Monte Carlo comes with heated front seats, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, power folding and heated exterior mirrors, dual-zone air conditioning, keyless entry and start, wireless device charging, a 10.25-inch fully digital instrument cluster, a 9.2-inch multimedia screen with digital radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, voice control, and a six-speaker audio system.
And there's more standard safety gear, too - see the section below.
There's no question the Fabia is packed with standard gear. In fact, it's a challenge to find another light hatch as well equipped.
But that price is also a stretch when you consider some of its high quality rivals like the Mazda2 GT, from $26,490 before on-road costs, the flagship Toyota Yaris ZR Hybrid from $32,200 (which is jam-packed with safety gear), and even the mechanically related Volkswagen Polo Style from $31,250.
The Fabia price is only $1000 cheaper than the Volkswagen Polo GTI - but that's a dedicated hot hatch.
If you're badge focused, you can get into a premium light hatch for less money than the Fabia. For example, an Audi A1 (from $33,800 before on-road costs) or a Mini Cooper five-door Hatch (from $38,500), although they don't have the same level of standard gear as the Fabia.
Like the last Type R, this hot hatch boasts a highly-strung turbocharged 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder engine under the bonnet, complete with red engine cover and Type R badging.
The new iteration of this engine makes 235kW at 6500rpm and 420Nm between 2600 and 4000rpm, with much of the 7.0kW/20Nm increase over the last car making itself known all the way through the rev range.
For changing gears, a six-speed manual gearbox with auto-rev matching - should you choose to keep it active - is the only option. That gearbox transfers power to the front wheels only, as is traditional.
The drivetrain can be adjusted for intensity via the drive modes, 'Comfort', 'Sport', '+R' (which saw plenty of use on this test) and 'Individual'.
The Skoda is powered by a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, offering up a healthy 110kW of power and 250Nm of torque.
It is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that drives the front wheels only.
This engine is familiar from other Volkswagen Group models, including the VW T-Roc, and more.
Skoda has an advantage over its rivals with this powertrain. Not including the dedicated hot hatches in the light-car segment - VW Polo GTI, Ford Fiesta ST, Hyundai i20 N, Toyota GR Yaris - the Fabia Monte Carlo is the most powerful model in its class.
Honda says the Type R’s official combined cycle fuel consumption figure is 8.9L/100km, the last-gen car’s figure was 8.8L/100km.
Of course, we didn’t get to test fuel efficiency on the track and if we did, we can’t imagine it would have been incredible. The car's 47-litre tank needed a refuel during our session.
But last time we drove the Type R, we spent a week and about 500km testing the hot hatch and found it used 11.5L/100km, not too far from the claim and reasonable for a car of this performance pedigree.
Skoda claims the new-gen Fabia will consume an average of 4.9 litres of petrol per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle.
The Fabia requires RON 95 premium fuel and it has a 40-litre fuel tank.
In terms of emissions, the Euro 6 engine emits 113 grams per kilometre.
Given we got in and out of different examples of the Fabia at the media launch, we didn't do a fuel test.
This is the bit you want, yeah? What’s it like behind the wheel of the new Civic Type R when road surfaces are at their best and a speed limit isn’t of concern?
Having spent plenty of time behind the wheel of the last CTR, two key words come to mind... familiar and refined.
Where the last generation at times felt on the sharp, tense edge even without sacrificing ability, the new Type R smooths out a lot of the minimal shortcomings of the last generation, just as it has for the exterior styling.
Its setting is relatively firm and direct, but not too heavy for track stints, with good communicative feedback for steering inputs.
It allows for smoother steering and a sense of how hard you can steer without over-shifting weight. Which in itself is another impressive aspect of the CTR, how smoothly you’re able to transfer weight not only in cornering but under braking and acceleration.
The 1429kg hot hatch will only complain gently with some tyre noise if you’re approaching it's fairly lofty limitations, the car’s inherent mechanical grip working well with the Michelin Pilot 4Ss.
For a front-drive car, its rear feels impressively planted, a trait the FK8 surprised many with, to the point that a regular comment from media and professional drivers is that it’s hard to believe the CTR is FWD.
Under hard braking, the rear stays steady, allowing plenty of control if you come in too hot for a corner. The pads and rotors seemed to hold up with a lot of track time, too.
Power and torque delivery feel familiar if you’ve spent time in an FK8, even pulling out of tight-ish corners in third acceleration doesn't disappoint.
Its gearbox, too, might be one of the best feeling shifters around at the moment.
With or without rev-matching, a downshift in the FL5 feels smooth, visceral, and results in an engine whine that makes you feel like this car is more at home on a circuit than a boulevard.
The FL5’s abilities are on show in a smoother manner than its predecessor, and it makes the car more encouraging to drive quickly and smoothly.
While rough inputs will still yield impressive results, the FL5 CTR’s a surprisingly comfortable thing to drive rapidly through bends and under hard braking.
Handling, acceleration (a claimed 0-100km/h in 5.1sec and we don’t doubt it), grip and cornering, braking, and now more than ever, comfort. At the risk of gushing, it’s hard to fault the Type R on track.
This might be the best front-wheel drive performance car of all time.
Whatever questions there are over value-for-money, the Fabia is a winner on the road.
The turbocharged engine is a real sweetie and is a terrific match for the Fabia's chassis. Acceleration from a standing start is brisk without blowing one's socks off. It's not a hot hatch, but honestly, it's not far off. Skoda says 0-100km/h is done and dusted in 8.0 seconds but it feels slightly quicker.
The seven-speed dual-clutch transmission is well matched with the engine, but tends to hold gears on steep descents.
With a tare weight of 1265kg, the Fabia is light enough to be nimble on the tight and twisty Blue Mountains roads where the launch event was held. There's plenty of grip from the tyres and the Fabia hugs corners exceptionally well.
Strong brakes and excellent steering response help ensure the Fabia is a driver's car.
The ride is firm but far from jarring. Aside from a massive pothole that I didn't see until it was too late, the Fabia seemed to soak up the many bumps and corrugations of the uneven roads on the drive route better than the Karoq SUV we drove the day prior.
ANCAP hasn’t crash-tested the current generation Honda Civic, though its European counterpart Euro NCAP has, awarding it a full five stars.
It scored relatively well for occupant safety (89 per cent for adults and 87 per cent for children) while being adequate in terms of pedestrian (82 per cent) and active safety assist (83 per cent).
While it’s possible the Type R would have minor differences, it’s safe to take the results of that test as a relatively accurate measure of the CTR’s safety performance.
It features eight airbags, including front, front knee, and rear passenger-side impact, and full-length curtain airbags.
In terms of active and intervention safety, there’s Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), lane keep assist and departure warning, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, parking sensors and a reversing camera, plus traffic sign assist and driver monitoring.
Skoda is offering a healthy list of standard safety gear with the new Fabia.
As well as auto emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, it has multi-collision braking, driver fatigue detection, lane keeping aid, adaptive cruise control, driver fatigue detection, blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping aid, tyre pressure monitor, reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors and an emergency stop signal.
It has already received a five-star rating from crash safety watchdog, ANCAP, in 2021.
The Fabia is not offered with a front centre airbag that can lower the risk of injury between the front passengers in a side collision, but it scored top marks for side impact tests, regardless.
The Type R is covered by the same warranty and servicing as any other Civic, which is a huge score when it comes to high-performance cars and the costs usually associated with them.
Honda’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty is fairly standard these days, but it includes roadside assistance.
Servicing is a flat fee of $199 per interval for five years, which come in every 12 months or 10,000km.
Like other Skoda models, the Fabia is offered with a five year, unlimited kilometre warranty.
The servicing schedule is every 12 months or 15,000 kilometres, whichever occurs first.
Capped-price servicing packs for the Fabia Monte Carlo cost $1500 for five years or $2100 for seven years, both breaking down to a reasonably competitive $300 per service.
Skoda has also just launched service and maintenance subscription plans that allow owners to pay a monthly fee to cover servicing and some parts costs.
The Fabia is covered by an initial one year of free roadside assist, but if you continue servicing your Fabia with a Skoda dealer, it will be topped up by a year for a maximum of nine years.