OVERVIEW
The 2020 Honda Civic Type R brings a host of important changes to Honda’s iconic performance flagship, expanding its already considerable performance envelope with enhanced handling, braking, ride quality, styling, and new levels of driver involvement with the debut of a new performance data logging app. Key highlights include:

• Retuned bushings in the front and rear suspension for improved cornering stability and sharper steering
• Revised Adaptive Damper System (ADS) features a substantially higher sampling rate and revised tuning for better control and improved ride comfort
• New two-piece front brake rotors improve brake cooling and reduce weight
• Increased engine cooling performance
• Updated exterior and interior design, plus an exclusive new exterior color
• Standard Honda Sensing® suite of safety and driver-assistive technologies
• All-new Honda LogR performance data logging app designed to record driving activity and help improve driver skills

As before, the 2020 Honda Civic Type R will be available in one well-equipped trim. With a 306-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged DOHC 4-cylinder engine, Civic Type R is the most powerful front-wheel-drive Honda ever made and the most powerful Honda-branded vehicle ever sold in the U.S. And despite its razor sharp, track-ready handling and performance, the Type R is also praised for its practicality as a spacious, comfortable and civilized daily driver, a rare combination of qualities in a car at any price.

On the outside, the 2020 Civic Type R is easily recognized by its bold, purposeful styling. The 2020 Type R is distinguished from earlier models by updated front and rear fascia styling and a new, larger grille opening that improves engine cooling. New for the 2020 model year is Boost Blue, an exclusive color available only on Civic Type R.

Inside, the 2020 Type R features a new Alcantara™-covered steering wheel, and a new shifter with shorter throws, a new aluminum knob and synthetic suede shift boot. Also new for 2020, the Honda Sensing® suite of safety and driver-assistive technologies is standard equipment, which means that every Civic sold in the U.S. now comes standard with the technology.

2020 Civic Type R Pricing & EPA Data

DYNAMIC IMPROVEMENTS
The 2020 Civic Type R features a number of engineering upgrades aimed at further elevating performance. After listening to feedback from customers, and thousands of kilometers of extensive testing on racetracks and on the road, engineers focused their attention on key areas where improvements would be helpful. Their efforts focused on three main areas: handling and ride response; high-speed braking; and engine cooling.

Suspension Updates
While Honda’s never-satisfied dynamics engineers wanted to further refine the handling of the 2020 Type R, it had to come without notable loss of daily driving comfort. Directional rigidity of the suspension has been strategically increased via updates to select bushings in the front and rear. In addition, the Adaptive Damping System has been modified for more frequent and precise adjustments--improving cornering performance while maintaining Type R’s civilized road manners.
The front compliance bushings are 10 percent stiffer longitudinally, resulting in an increase in road feel and improved consistency of the tire contact patch under cornering loads. Additionally, the front lower ball joint has been reengineered for lower friction, improving steering feel and precision. In the rear, the bushings for the lower B-arms were stiffened, increasing lateral rigidity by 8 percent, while also improving toe-in characteristics during cornering.

The Adaptive Damper System has been upgraded to sample conditions 10 times faster (2 kHz to 20 kHz), giving the system more discrete control of both ride and handling dynamics. For ride comfort, the system is able to react to conditions more accurately, enabling finer damper control for a smoother ride on surfaces such as broken pavement, whether cruising around town or cornering on less-than-perfect roads.

In cornering, the quicker-reacting ADS features new anti-roll control, which works in conjunction with the new stiffer bushings and sharper steering by more effectively harmonizing the timing of body roll and pitch caused by steering, braking and acceleration. This results in better steering response when turning into a corner, improved stability mid-corner, and better control when powering out of a corner.

Two-Piece Brake Rotors
For improved brake performance with better fade resistance as well as reduced unsprung weight, the Type R’s single-piece cross-drilled front brake rotors are replaced by new floating, two-piece rotors that more quickly dissipate heat. Aided by revised brake pads, the brake pedal benefits from a more immediate feel with approximately 17 percent less play before engagement. In addition, the new front brake system reduces total unsprung weight by about 5 pounds (2.5 lbs. at each front wheel) to aid both ride and handling performance.

Improved Engine Cooling
The 2020 Type R gets a redesigned grille that features a smaller gloss-black area above, and a smaller red Honda badge in the middle, resulting in a 13-percent larger opening to allow more air to pass through the radiator. In addition, the radiator itself was updated, and now uses a core with a closer pitch between the cooling fins (2.5mm versus 3mm), the increased surface area allowing greater heat dissipation. The result is that in high-demand situations, such as track use, testing revealed coolant temperature reductions of as much as 18 degrees F.

In replacing the grille, engineers also modified the shape of the front chin spoiler. Instead of a completely flat bottom, the spoiler now has a very wide “V” shape on the left and right side and now features a “rib” on each end to create negative pressure ahead of the front tires.

EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR DESIGN
In addition to the revised grille treatment, the 2020 Civic Type R receives styling refinements similar to the Civic Hatchback lineup. These updates include revised fog light housings in front, which now feature a solid black background with a body-color blade-type crossbar. In the rear, the lower bumper openings receive changes similar to the front, with new body-color blades over the black backgrounds in the bumper. Additionally, the outside mirrors now incorporate LED turn signals and are heated.

Inside, the 2020 Civic Type R gets a new steering wheel wrapped in grippy Alcantara™ and a new shift lever with a restyled knob and synthetic suede shift boot. The new, smaller knob shape is designed to more easily show at a glance which gear the car is in, and is reminiscent of previous Type R models, including the original 1997 Civic Type R. Type R engineers settled on the new shift knob after prototyping 10 different designs for appearance, ease of use, and how the knob fits in the hand. The new shift knob features a 90g counterweight, giving Type R an even smoother and more natural shift feel.

Also new for the 2020 model year is the addition of Active Sound Control (ASC) with individual settings for Type R’s Comfort, Sport and +R driving modes. Working through the audio system’s speakers, ASC electronically enhances engine sound by tailoring and/or augmenting certain frequencies in a natural way, with progressively stronger character as the driver moves from Comfort to Sport, and finally to +R mode.

The changes this year build on those made for the 2019 model year. Enhancements to technology and connectivity for MY19 included an updated Display Audio system with physical buttons and a volume knob, improved voice recognition and Bluetooth®, a USB sub-cord, upgraded steering wheel controls for simplified operation, and physical buttons for fan speed. Other changes included a new center console cup holder that better holds larger beverages, and an updated electronic parking brake with an indicator light.

HONDA LOGR PERFORMANCE DATALOGGER
Debuting for the first time in any Honda automobile is a new performance datalogger, exclusive to Type R. Known as Honda LogR™, the new datalogger combines the Type R’s onboard computer and sensors with a smartphone app to help drivers monitor and record a variety of performance parameters when driving on the track or other closed courses. The app is also designed to help improve driving skills through the use of a driving-smoothness algorithm, developed with the help of professional Honda drivers. With exclusive access to the Type R’s onboard computer, Honda LogR can deliver much more detail than third-party apps.

Expected this summer, the LogR app is designed to work exclusively with the 2020 (and newer) Type R, for both iPhone® and Android™ users.

Honda LogR features three main functions: a Performance Monitor, a Log Mode, and Auto Score Mode. The Performance Monitor provides vehicle information to the driver on the Display Audio screen while the app is functioning. Log Mode records lap times on the track, allowing drivers to improve their driving skills. The Auto Score function encourages smooth driving by monitoring braking, acceleration and steering, and generating a score based on the smoothness algorithm.

While driving, all interaction with Honda LogR is through the Display Audio screen, but Log Mode and Auto Score both offer more in-depth analysis after driving when the phone is unplugged from the vehicle, including previous drives, performance traces and replays using maps, and detailed vehicle information.

Performance Monitor
When connected and using the app, the Display Audio screen on the Type R shows a Performance Monitor, which allows the driver to keep track of vehicle systems in real-time. These include:

• Coolant temperature
• Engine oil temperature
• Engine oil pressure
• Intake air temperature
• Atmospheric pressure
• Gear position

Additionally, drivers can switch between two different views: (1) a G-Meter view indicates acceleration, braking, and cornering G forces on a “bowl” graph; and (2) a 3D view with a graphical representation of the car’s behavior, using a bird’s eye view from above and behind the car, showing its approximate pitch, roll and yaw, similar to what one might see in a high-end racing video game. The Performance Monitor also shows the Type R’s current drive mode (Comfort, Sport or +R),

Log Mode
Log Mode is designed to help drivers achieve the best possible lap times on the track. The program uses GPS to monitor and map the vehicle’s location, and the car’s internal sensors to gather data on acceleration, braking, cornering Gs and other parameters. The app evaluates driving smoothness and efficiency by monitoring these G forces, simultaneously tracing the driver’s path via GPS, and tracking acceleration/deceleration activity. The goal is to encourage smooth use of the clutch, shifter, steering, brakes and accelerator, keeping the car in balance, and thus improving overall driving skills, not just the skills required for a particular track. Users can save their lap times to measure their improvement over time.

For a new location, users set a start/finish line using the integrated map, and name the location, saving it for the future. Once on track, and with the phone connected, users swipe right on the Performance Monitor screen, and the Display Audio screen goes into Log Mode, ready to record lap times. Drivers then tap the Start Recording button on the Display Audio screen, and the app begins recording lap times. Multiple laps can be recorded, with the Display Audio screen showing times for the current, previous, and best lap times. When finished, drivers tap the screen again to stop recording.

When finished driving, users can access the phone for more detailed information on their performance. Rather than generating specific coaching for each track, the app encourages smooth, controlled driving through the use of a trace of each lap. The goal is to encourage smooth inputs of the clutch, shifting, steering, brakes and acceleration, and keeping the car in balance, thus improving overall driving skills—not just the skills required for a particular track.

Auto Score
The Auto Score function operates whenever the Honda LogR app is in use, monitoring the driver’s behavior over time by tracking inputs for acceleration, deceleration, and steering (cornering and straight driving), and generating a score for each. It also generates a combination score of those same parameters, which is measured against the same pro-driver baseline that is built into the app and used in the Log Mode function. Similar to the Log Mode, Auto Score also keeps a historical record that ties into the GPS function to show driving improvement over time. For example, drivers can see how their smoothness has improved over time on their daily drive to and from work.

ENHANCED SAFETY FEATURES
Every 2020 Civic Type R will be equipped with the Honda Sensing® suite of safety and driver-assistive technologies, making the Honda Sensing® suite standard equipment on all Civic models and trims. Honda Sensing® on Type R includes Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS™) incorporating Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) and Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) incorporating Lane Departure Warning (LDW). Additionally, all Honda Civic models receive automatic high beams as part of their Honda Sensing® package.

The 2020 Honda Civic Type R also features a long list of standard active and passive safety features, including Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) with traction control, driver and passenger front and side airbags, side-curtain airbags with rollover sensor, Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist and Honda's next-generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure. Civic Type R also features a multi-angle rearview camera with guidelines as standard equipment.

POWERTRAIN
Under the hood, the 2020 Civic Type R continues to draw power from a race-bred 2.0-liter DOHC direct-injected and turbocharged in-line 4-cylinder engine with VTEC™ valvetrain putting out a peak 306-horseopwer and 295 lb.-ft. of torque, with power to the front wheels delivered through a close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission with automatic rev-matching on downshifts, and a limited-slip differential.

As before, drivers can choose between three driving modes – Comfort, Sport and +R – that vary suspension firmness, steering assist and throttle response. The Type R’s selectable drive modes and sophisticated design make it both a thrilling companion on a mountain road or a racetrack, and a remarkably civilized daily driver with a degree of flexibility unmatched in its competitive set, especially at the price.

2020 Civic Type R Powertrain Details

About Honda
Honda offers a full line of reliable, fuel-efficient and fun-to-drive vehicles with advanced safety technologies sold through over 1,000 independent U.S. Honda dealers. The Honda lineup includes the Fit, Civic and Accord passenger cars, along with the HR-V, CR-V, Passport and Pilot sport utility vehicles, the Ridgeline pickup and the Odyssey minivan. Honda’s electrified vehicle lineup includes the Insight hybrid-electric sedan, Accord Hybrid, CR-V Hybrid, and the Clarity series.
 
Honda has been producing automobiles in America for more than 35 years and currently operates 19 major manufacturing facilities in North America. In 2019, more than 90 percent of all Honda brand vehicles sold in the U.S. were made in North America, using domestic and globally sourced parts.

For More Information
Additional media information including detailed pricing features and high-resolution photography of all 2020 Honda models is available at hondanews.com. Consumer information is available at automobiles.honda.com. To join the Honda community on Facebook, visit facebook.com/honda.

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<sup>1. MSRP excluding tax, license, registration, $955 destination charge and options. Dealer prices may vary.
2. Based on 2020 EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle, driving conditions and other factors.</sup>