Launched: Honda Civic Type R FL5 – Limited Allocations, Priced RM399K

The all-new Honda Civic Type R FL5 has officially landed in Malaysia!

Honda Malaysia Sdn Bhd (HMSB) is welcoming the sixth generation of the Honda Civic Type-R today, replacing the previous-gen FK8 Type R model as the marque’s sole performance model. Fully-imported (CBU) from Japan, this JDM hot-hatch is only available in 19 units, with all of them to be allocated via a lottery or ballot system.

As the newest Type R model to hit the market, the FL5-gen Civic is powered by the same 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbocharged K20C1 mill as the FK8-gen model, but with a revised turbocharger featuring larger turbine size and more turbine blades, as well as an increased air intake and exhaust flows, with the latter featuring active valves. Aside from that, said mill also features a more compact housing to improve its overall efficiency.

For the Malaysian market, the Civic FL5’s four-pot mill is being tuned to produce 319 PS and 420 NM – the same spec as the US-bound Civic Type R. Said mill is then mated to the same six-speed manual gearbox as its predecessor, allowing to blast from nought to 100 KM/H in 5.5 seconds.

Based on the eleventh-gen Civic hatchback (codenamed FL1), the new Type R boasts a longer wheelbase compared to its predecessor, while underpinning an improved chassis with stiffer structure and wider tracks. Each corner of this hot hatch is also donned with revised damper setup with lower suspension arm and improved camber rigidity.

The Civic Type R FL5 is officially the fastest production FWD car to lap the 'Green Hell'!

All these improvements have garnered the new Civic Type R FL5 with an improved drive dynamics and performance, so much so that this JDM hot-hatch recently crowned the fastest production front-wheel drive (FWD) model to lap around the notorious Nurburgring Nordschleife track – a record previously held by its predecessor few years ago.

On the visual front, the Civic Type R FL5 features a simpler and cleaner design compared to its wildly-dressed predecessor. It gets the same front look as the Civic FE sedan, albeit with a wider body and sportier front bumper featuring a large opening. In order to shed some weight, the new Type R rides on smaller 19-inch wheels, while its front hood is now made of lightweight aluminium.

At the back, the FL5 Civic features a cleaner look, with the carbon fibre rear wing crowning above its rear hatch. Meanwhile, the rear diffuser is donned with the same triple exhaust tips we saw on the FK8 model. For the Malaysian market, the Civic FL5 is only available in the Type R’s signature colourway, the Championship White.

The Civic FL5's red-hued cabin is laced with a slew of sporty bits and modern amenities

On board, the red-themed Civic Type R’s cabin is laced with a slew of performance parts and modern equipment. Key highlights include the red semi-bucket front seats, the Type R’s signature aluminium gear knob, sporty steering wheel with red stitching and black leather wrap, fully-digital instrument cluster with special Type R graphics, as well as a 9-inch central infotainment display with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support.

Said infotainment system also comes with the Honda Log R app, which is specially designed for this model for the driver to achieve significant improvements in lap times in a closed-course setting. Users will gain exclusive access to the on-board computer and sensors to monitor a variety of performance parameters.

Beyond its sporty cosmetics, the new Civic Type R also comes with special +R driving mode, which stiffens the damper setup, while the electric power steering (EPS) firms up to provide drivers with better driving feel. Said driving mode also provides some degree of personalisation, allowing you to tweak the suspension setup and many more individual settings.

The Civic Type R is also not too shabby on the safety front, as it is equipped with the latest Honda SENSING advanced driver assistance (ADAS) suite. Here, you can find active safety features like Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Honda LaneWatch camera, Forward Collision Warning (FCW) with Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Lane-Keeping Assist (LKA), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), and many more.

Another tech bit available on this new Type R is the Honda Connect support. This allows users to have several remote access to their car, including remote engine start, remote preconditioning, and remote door lock. Aside from that, users also can access their vehicles’ telemetry functions, service reminders, as well as pin-pointing the exact location of their car.

Only 19 units of the new Honda Civic Type R FL5 will be alloated this year

With only 19 limited units available in Malaysia this year, the all-new Honda Civic Type R FL5 is priced at RM399,900 on-the-road, making it about RM80,000 more expensive than the previous-gen Civic Type R FK8, which was also officially sold by Honda Malaysia. Plus, this also makes the Malaysian-bound Type R among the cheapest in the region, as the ones sold in Thailand and Vietnam fetch price tags of up to RM500,000.

Orders for the new Civic Type R FL5 are officially open from today (Sept 27, 2023) onwards, with unit allocations will be done by ballot or lottery basis. Each of the 19 Civic Type Rs sold will include a five-year unlimited mileage vehicle warranty, plus  five-time free labour service alternating with paid ones.