Remember the Honda Civic SiR? Of course you do. This is especially true for the late 1990s EK Civic that boasted a potent 1.6-liter normally-aspirated VTEC motor that packed quite a punch at 160hp. And the kicker was that it could be used as a no-fuss daily driver.
In the US market, however, this more powerful Civic is known as the Civic Si. Basically following the same formula of a more punchy motor for everyday use, the Si variant was for those that wanted outright performance short of a Type R. And now, Honda North America gives us a glimpse of what the Civic Si would look like in the 10th-generation iteration.
Unveiled at the 2016 Los Angeles International Auto Show, the latest Civic Si will be offered in both coupe and sedan trims and comes with a host of upgrades befitting of those two cool letters. The Civic Si Prototype features Honda Factory Performance (HFP) bodykit with front and rear splitters, trunk spoiler, and a mean-looking polygonal exhaust tip mounted right smack in the center. It also boasts 19-inch alloys wrapped in 235/35 Y-spec rubber. The icing on the proverbial cake is the Rally Red Pearl paint job that brings out the car’s racy lines.
Inside, passengers are treated to an equally sporty cabin. This comes courtesy of sport seats with red stitching and the sporty Si logo, More scarlet can be seen on the meter gauges and infotainment illumination, while the instrument panel gets a Day Metal carbon finish as do the aluminum sport peals.
Powering the new Civic Si will be the company’s new 1.5-liter DOHC direct injection turbocharged four-cylinder motor with dual variable cam timing. Power will be coursed through a slick-shifting six-speed manual gearbox. Aiding the performance potential of this high-revving machine are goodies like active steering system, active dampers, limited slip differential, and high-performance tires.
The Honda Civic Si Coupe and Sedan will have their production versions launched next year.
