Honda Civic Type S: In Detail

Press Release

"I am very pleased to introduce our new product (Type S), which was aggressively developed from our dreams to a much more sporty and personal direction, and not just making a 3-door version of the Civic 5-door."

These were the words of Mikio Suzuki, Large Project Leader for Civic Type S, talking at a Honda internal study meeting, February 2006.

Okay, so the Japanese/English translation may sound a bit stilted, but the passion is clear. The Type S project team was determined to deliver a 3-door variant that took the car in a far more sporty direction. Suzuki elaborated further when he visited the British International Motor Show in London for the world debut of the Type S model.

"Type S stands for Sport - but don't confuse this with a Sport grade model of the conventional Civic. Type S is superior - it doesn't just look sportier - it handles better because of the changes to the suspension set up."

So, visually and mechanically, the Type S raises the game.

UNIQUE SUSPENSION

The surefooted handling of the Civic 5-door's MacPherson strut/torsion beam chassis provided the ideal base for the more sporty Civic derivatives.

The Type S introduces revised spring and damper settings and a 20mm wider rear track to deliver sharper chassis dynamics, while 17-inch light alloy wheels shod with 225/45 ZR17 tyres provide enhanced grip.

Ventilated front brake discs are 282mm in diameter and the rear is equipped with 260mm solid discs.

POWER

Whether your preference is petrol or diesel, the power output remains the same - an impressive 140PS.

The 1.8-litre i-VTEC petrol that debuted in the 5-door model, and Honda's leaner, greener 2.2 i-CTDi diesel both feature 6-speed manual gearboxes to exploit their potential. The 1.8 also features an automated manual transmission dubbed

'i-SHIFT'- which offers the choice of automatic changes or manual shifts via steering wheel mounted paddles.

The 1.8 petrol achieves class leading performance (0-62mph in 8.9 seconds) on a par with a 2.0-litre engine, while delivering fuel economy (42.8mpg) that beats many 1.6 engines.

The diesel records 0-62mph in 8.6 seconds and a huge 54.3mpg on the Combined cycle.

INTERIOR

As it's derived from the same body shell, the Type S enjoys all of Civic 5-door's packaging benefits:

• 1,352 litres of luggage space (on a par with cars in the D segment)

• 60:40 one motion fold flat magic rear seats

• Dual-zone two tier display dashboard

• 'Extra' 70 litre storage compartment beneath the boot floor

• 14 litre glovebox (you could lose a medium sized mammal in there)

• One litre centre pocket, double cup holder and large capacity console box capable of accommodating 22 CDs

• Panoramic glass roof (available on Type S GT)

The Type S also gains new seats - designed to effectively surround the pelvis to improve support during cornering. This has been achieved by using an improved urethane cushion material to enhance vibration absorption and the cushions and backrests are now larger with prominent side bolsters. The front seats also have a greater range of fore/aft and reclining adjustment while the steering column has both rake and telescopic adjustment, providing more room for taller drivers, as well as improved versatility.

Both the new leather steering wheel and the black Alcantara upholstery gain sporty silver stitching to set the tone.

Because the Type S shares the interior dimensions of the 5-door model, driver legroom has been enhanced and the pedals are now 978mm from the hip point compared with 970mm before.

Did you know? The centrally-mounted 50 litre fuel tank is the key to the Civic's sector-leading packaging, creating greater space inside a more compact frame.

TECHNOLOGY

The latest technology from the Civic 5-door - including intelligent traffic jam busting satellite navigation and hands free Bluetooth phone - is available. For greater creature comforts, Type S GT gains a panoramic glass roof, automatic HID headlamps, auto rain wipers, and upgraded dual zone climate control - so passenger and driver can set their own personal preferences.

All models feature audio remote control switches on the left-hand spoke of the steering wheel and, when so equipped, cruise control buttons on the right spoke. Similarly, the third, lower spoke can carry navigation system controls on the left as well as multi-info display switches on the right. Illumination allows easy recognition at night.

Did you know? The Civic is the only car in the market that can inform the driver on demand about rear seatbelt usage upon request (competitor models can only do this on start up)

EXTERIOR

The doors, rear three quarter panels, lower sills and front and rear bumpers are unique to the 3-door style.

In particular, the lower edge of the rear side window tapers upwards more steeply for a more sporty profile.

The gun-metal colour side skirts blend into the front and rear wheel-arch surrounds and flow into the front and rear spoiler.

The deep front air intake, together with standard 17-inch alloy wheels and a wider rear track provide the Civic Type S with a particularly muscular and planted look.

Did you know? The Civic's doors have 'three stage' opening - 35 degrees, 52 degrees and 80 degrees. Bet you'll always think of the Three Degrees when you open a Civic door now!

SAFETY MEASURES

Civic Type S is one of the safest cars in its class. Equipped with ABS for optimum performance, EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution) which adjusts front-to-rear brake effort to achieve maximum braking performance and VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist) designed to assist the driver in maintaining control during cornering, acceleration and sudden manoeuvres by applying brake force to the right or left hand wheels as necessary and managing the throttle and ignition systems.

Passive safety is covered with front, side and curtain SRS airbags and double

pre-tensioners on the front seatbelts and there is an innovative seat belt reminder system for rear passengers displayed on the instrument panel.

Active front seat headrests on Type S play a key role in protecting against whiplash injury in the event of an accident, and Honda is anticipating an excellent rating in the neck impact alleviation study conducted by the independent research institute, Thatcham.

Expected NCAP safety ratings:

Front and side impact	5 stars
Pedestrian safety	3 stars
Child protection	4 stars

The Mothership:

Production will commence in the Swindon factory from October onwards and sales begin in the UK in January, 2007.

ENGINES

1.8 SOHC i-VTEC

The 1.8-litre SOHC i-VTEC engine contains the finest of Honda's VTEC technology and control systems expertise and introduces a further innovation to boost environmental performance – by combining delayed intake valve closure with a wide open throttle valve during low-load driving conditions, pumping losses are reduced to the benefit of fuel economy.

In conventional petrol engines, the accelerator pedal is directly connected to a throttle valve that opens and closes, adjusting the volume of intake air. Under low-load conditions (i.e. when the driver is pressing lightly on the accelerator pedal) the throttle valve is opened just slightly. This narrowing of the intake passage causes resistance, pumping losses and has a negative impact on fuel economy.

The 1.8-litre i-VTEC engine adopts a different approach. Its two sets of cams – one designed for high output, the other fuel economy – intelligently adjust valve timing and lift. During acceleration and other high-load conditions, the high output cams help deliver a superior driving performance. During cruising and other stable low-load driving conditions, the fuel economy cams retard the closure of the intake valve and the throttle valve is opened wide. In this position, the output would normally be very high but since the intake valve closure is delayed, some of the air/fuel mixture is momentarily expelled back out of the combustion chamber, minimising unnecessary output and thus improving fuel economy.

Thanks to this synchronised operation of the intake and throttle valves, output is optimised and pumping losses are minimised. Meanwhile, the drive-by-wire throttle works together with the switch between high output cams and fuel economy cams, to provide highly precise throttle control for smooth driving with minimal torque variation.

The cruising mode is detected if the water temperature is over 60ºC, if second or a higher gear is in use, if the vehicle speed exceeds 6mph and if the engine is revving between 1,000 and 3,500rpm.

In pursuit of even higher fuel economy, the new 1.8 i-VTEC engine also incorporates the latest friction reducing technologies. The piston skirts are shot with a solid lubricant, molybdenum disulphide, while an ion plating process is used on the piston rings to ensure reduced friction. Plateau honing of the cylinders results in a smoother surface and improved oil film retention. Friction is reduced by approximately 10 per cent as a result.

Through this combination of new VTEC technology and comprehensive friction reduction measures, the new engine realises a six per cent improvement in fuel economy compared to a 1.7-litre engine and during cruising it delivers fuel economy on a par with that of a 1.5-litre engine. Performance is improved at all engine speeds to ensure lively response, while special attention has been paid to increasing low to mid-speed torque.

For the intake system variable length intake manifolds are implemented. Controlling the effective length of the intake manifold – making it longer at low rpm and shorter at higher rpm – ensures that the optimum intake ram effect is maintained to deliver torquey driving performance throughout the rpm range.

Also introduced with this engine are piston oil jets, more normally associated with high performance engines. The resulting superior cooling ensures improved durability against knocking, allowing the engine to run with a high compression ratio of 10.5:1.

These enhancements combine to achieve class-leading performance that's on a par with a 2.0-litre engine: maximum output of 140PS at 6,300rpm and a maximum torque of 128lb.ft at 4,300rpm. With an acceleration time from 0 to 62mph of 8.9 seconds (i-SHIFT 10.9 seconds) and a Combined fuel consumption of 42.8mpg (43.5 i-SHIFT), it establishes new standards for this size of engine and even betters some competitors fitted with 1.6-litre engines.

Along with improved fuel economy, the new engine offers cleaner emissions performance. The airflow meter and linear airflow sensor, together with the latest control technology, achieve extremely precise control over the air/fuel ratio and contribute to cleaner exhaust emissions. A key role is also played by the integrated cylinder head and exhaust manifold with two catalytic converters positioned immediately after the manifold.

The engine is also light and compact thanks to an all aluminium lower block and plastic used in the head cover, chain guard and chain tensioner arm. Aluminium rocker arms and high strength cracked connecting rods provide a significant reduction in the inertial mass of moving parts.

The integration of the cylinder head with the exhaust manifold both saves space and generates an important weight reduction (0.58kg). The combined assembly of the manual transmission bracket, the chain cover and the oil pump further reduce the engine's weight (0.3kg) and size (15mm), besides diminishing the parts number. Overall the engine is both lighter (5kg) and shorter (13mm) than a conventional

2.2 DOHC i-CTDi

The acclaimed 2.2-litre i-CTDi diesel engine has established a strong reputation thanks to its outstanding performance, low consumption and environmental protection. As the first in-house developed diesel engine in Honda's history, it has lived up to high expectations and in true Honda fashion, it extends the boundaries of diesel technology to give one of the best all-round packages on the market.

With a displacement of 2,204cc, the i-CTDi engine's advanced design and all-aluminium construction deliver 140PS at 4,000rpm and maximum torque of 251lb.ft at just 2,000rpm. It's a transversely mounted, 4-cylinder unit, with DOHC, four valves per cylinder, balancer shaft, second generation common rail direct injection, and variable nozzle turbocharger with intercooler. The strength-in-depth of the engine is exemplified by consumption figures in the combined cycle of 54.3mpg and acceleration from standstill to 62mph completed in 8.6 seconds.

Although the engine structure is not identical to the engine used in the Accord, CR-V and FR-V, the torque and output curves are exactly the same as those of the Accord – although the way they are produced is slightly different.

The intake and exhaust systems have also been modified in order to accommodate the engine under the Civic Type S's relatively low bonnet. The grille-less design was a technological challenge; usually the intercooler is placed between the bumper and the radiator, but in this case it was positioned within the wing. The EGR cooler is also deleted to free up space, but the reduced EGR is compensated by the lower weight and better aerodynamics of the Civic Type S.

Other items unique to Civic include the frame, con rods, a new ancillary belt arrangement (to accommodate the EPS), oil pan (to receive the oil level sensor), while the oil filter and chain case are smaller to provide more under bonnet room for pedestrian protection.

Honda's reputation for consistently bringing clever solutions and creative thinking to whatever new area of technology it has chosen to pursue continues with the 2.2 i-CTDi engine; producing a class-leading diesel engine has been as much about materials science and production technology as it has about engine architecture.

Employing a series of advanced technologies and crucial attention to detail, both in terms of construction and operation, has delivered an engine that is light in weight, compact, yet immensely strong, and delivers optimum combustion characteristics.

Core intelligent combustion technologies include optimum use of the combustion chamber, a continuously variable swirl control valve, a common rail system, variable nozzle turbocharger and an electrically operated EGR valve. Achieving exceptional refinement, NV reduction technologies include offset cylinders, a second order balancer shaft and an acoustic engine cover, while friction is minimised through technologies such as roller follower rocker arms. Close coupled and under floor catalytic converters contribute to the low emissions performance.

The common rail injection system, providing pressures up to 1,600bar, allows close regulation of injection pressure and timing to give optimum performance across all driving conditions. A small amount of fuel introduced prior to the main injection – the pilot injection – helps lower combustion noise.

This common rail system closely interacts with the variable nozzle turbocharger to ensure optimum control over intake pressure, facilitating higher intake pressures at a lower speed, as well as better fuel economy and fewer harmful emissions through lean burn combustion.

6-speed manual transmission

The Type S's 6-speed manual transmission features an improved shifting action thanks to a shorter synchro sleeve stroke, a linkless rotation select structure, detent bearings for reduced friction and higher capacity bearings. Other upgrades include a variable lever ratio shift arm and a new gear specification with better inter-meshing from third to sixth gears.

Every component was also carefully analysed and where possible reduced in size and weight (for example the gear synchroniser), without compromising reliability. The result was so successful, that Honda's 6-speed manual transmission is even more compact in size than the 5-speed transmissions from some competitors.

Honda i-SHIFT 6-speed automated manual transmission

Type S 1.8 models can also be equipped with Honda’s i-SHIFT automated manual transmission. The clutch and change actuator ensure good fuel economy, while the sequential paddle shift allows sporty gear shifting. The Transmission Central Unit is used to control the clutch with hydraulic power generated by a direct current (DC) motor that replaces the operation of a manual transmission clutch pedal. Gear changes are particularly smooth without compromising the system's sportiness.

Switching between Auto and Manual modes is via a button placed beside the gear lever or through the steering wheel mounted paddles. During manual mode operation, the selected gear is displayed to the left of the speedometer.

Different shift maps are employed depending on the driving conditions so when the Type S is being driven downhill, the system will shift down to provide engine braking. Similarly, the system will not shift through a corner if there is any possibility of upsetting the car's balance.

There are other system safeguards. At low rpm the system will not shift up, even if it is instructed by the driver to do so, thus preventing malfunction and knocking. And it automatically shifts up 500rpm before the red zone in order to avoid damaging the engine by over revving. When the car stops in fourth gear, the system will automatically shift back to first either in automatic or manual mode. The driver may also choose to start in second gear in manual mode.

There are other shifting restraints determined by operation speed. When the manual operation time is shorter than the shifter operation of 110ms the shift is not changed. On the other hand, there is also a jump shift restriction (shifting is partially restricted depending on the vehicle speed).

The shift lever requires only a short – 13.5mm – movement to select the next gear so emulating a sporty driving feel. Furthermore, reverse is in the conventional manual transmission position, thus permitting selection without requiring a visual check from the driver. When the gear is selected directly from N (neutral) after starting the engine, the auto mode is activated. Finally, manual shifting is possible even in auto mode, as long as the paddles are activated.

Insurance ratings, warranties & maintenance

Considerable effort has gone into designing front and rear body structures that do not result in expensive repair bills in the event of slow speed impacts. The light crash damageability assessment (DDV/Thatcham standard) has proved very positive, and only required the replacement of plastic parts, considerably reducing repair costs and enabling Civic to receive more favourable insurance ratings in the UK.

Paintwork anti-scratch resistance has been enhanced by adopting a hard coating technology.

The Civic also upgrades its warranties. A newly developed wax has been applied to the body making it possible to extend the perforation protection warranty from six to 12 years.

TYPE S TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

	1.8 i-VTEC S	1.8 i-VTEC Type S	1.8 i-VTEC Type S GT	2.2 i-CTDi S	2.2 i-CTDi Type S	2.2 i-CTDi Type S GT
	Manual / i-SHIFT	Manual / i-SHIFT	Manual / i-SHIFT	Manual	Manual	Manual
Engines
Type	SOHC	SOHC	SOHC	DOHC	DOHC	DOHC
Displacement (cc)	1799	1799	1799	2204	2204	2204
Maximum power (PS @ rpm)	140 @ 6300	140 @ 6300	140 @ 6300	140 @ 4000	140 @ 4000	140 @ 4000
Maximum torque (Nm @ rpm)	174 @ 4300	174 @ 4300	174 @ 4300	340 @ 2000	340 @ 2000	340 @ 2000
Maximum torque (lb-ft @ rpm)	128 @ 4300	128 @ 4300	128 @ 4300	251 @ 2000	251 @ 2000	251 @ 2000
Fuel type	Petrol	Petrol	Petrol	Diesel	Diesel	Diesel
Fuel Economy
Urban (l/100km)	8.2 / 8.3	8.4 / 8.4	8.4 / 8.4	6.6	6.7	6.7
Urban (mpg)	34.4 / 34.0	33.6 / 33.6	33.6 / 33.6	42.8	42.2	42.2
Extra urban (l/100km)	5.4 / 5.1	5.5 / 5.4	5.5 / 5.4	4.2	4.4	4.4
Extra urban (mpg)	52.3 / 55.4	51.4 / 52.3	51.4 / 52.3	67.3	64.2	64.2
Combined (l/100km)	6.4 / 6.3	6.6 / 6.5	6.6 / 6.5	5.1	5.2	5.2
Combined (mpg)	44.1 / 44.8	42.8 / 43.5	42.8 / 43.5	55.4	54.3	54.3
CO2 (g/km)	152 / 149	156 / 153	156 / 153	134	138	138
Transmissions
6 speed manual	•	•	•	•	•	•
6 speed automated manual transmission	o	o	o	-	-	-
Performance
Acceleration 0-62mph (secs)	8.9 / 10.9	8.9 / 10.9	8.9 / 10.9	8.6	8.6	8.6
Maximum speed (mph)	127 / 127	127 / 127	127 / 127	127	127	127
Weights and Capacities
Boot capacity to window, seat up (litres, VDA method)	485	485	485	485	485	485
Boot capacity to window, seat down (litres,VDA method)	1352	1352	1326	1352	1352	1326
Fuel tank (litres)	50	50	50	50	50	50
Kerb weight (kg)	1201/1204	1248/1252	1277/1280	1318	1380	1409
Maximum towing weight with brakes (kg)**	1400	1400	1400	1500	1500	1500
Maximum towing weight without brakes (kg)**	500	500	500	500	500	500
Maximum trailer nose weight (kg)	75	75	75	75	75	75
Maximum roof load (kg)	80	80	55	80	80	55
Dimensions
Length (mm)	4276	4276	4276	4276	4276	4276
Width including door mirrors (mm)	2046	2046	2046	2046	2046	2046
Width excluding door mirrors (mm)	1785	1785	1785	1785	1785	1785
Height excluding aerial (mm)	1460	1460	1460	1460	1460	1460
Wheels and Tyres
Instant Mobility System (IMS) repair kit	•	•	•	•	•	•
16” steel wheels	•	-	-	•	-	-
17” alloy wheels	-	•	•	-	•	•
18” alloy wheels	-	o	o	-	o	o
Space saver spare wheel	o	o	o	o	o	o
Tyres	205/55 R16	225/45 R17	225/45 R17	205/55 R16	225/45 R17	225/45 R17
Instruments and Controls
Multi-function driver computer	•	•	•	•	•	•
Paddle shift gear selector	o	o	o	-	-	-
Cruise control	-	-	•	-	-	•
Digital clock (built into audio system)	-	•	•	-	•	•
Audible headlight on reminder	•	•	•	•	•	•