Teasing seems to be the new marketing game Honda plays these days. From the City to the HR-V, they’ve milked every single aspect of those cars and continued to do so with the all-new FL5 2022 Honda Civic Type R. Fortunately, or the Type R, we’re a little more patient though that game has finally ended with the official road of its turbocharged VTEC mill signalling its status as the most powerful Type R yet.

This formerly boy racer's favourite that's all grown up is based on the current 11th-generation Civic Hatchback that’s not sold here.

Unlike its predecessor however, this new Civic Type R employs a much more subtle approach with a more subdued exterior, opting not to take a sledgehammer and visually assault your eyes like the previous one did.

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Although it appears much more grown up and sleeker, you can bet it’s still a hoon on the road or circuit.

That more profiled front bumper is a dead giveaway for the Type R with the exposed lower intake and vertical air inlets that provide increased airflow for the upgraded cooling system. Even the honeycomb mesh on the front grille is function over form, letting more air in. Once the air has done its part, it flows out via the vented bonnet.

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All the fenders have been widened with the rear doors flowing into the wider arches for a seamless look. Even the side skirts sport end blades that we’re sure helps with aerodynamics. At the rear, the bumper has a diffuser with the triple-pipe exhaust integrated into the middle.

Addressing some of the complaints regarding the 20-inch wheels on the previous car, the new Type R gets a smaller 19-inch setup under its widened fenders but the contact patch is wider with 265/30-profile Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubbers. Peeking out from behind the smaller wheels are those iconic red Brembos that retain the two-piece rotors from the previous car.

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Completing the exterior is a rear wing that curves with the lines of the hatch’s body work, continuing with the subdued exterior approach.

As has been the case with all Type R models, red is a colour that is prominently used everywhere. The semi-bucket seats feature a honeycomb pattern and the obligatory Type R embroidered on the headrest. Of course, the seats themselves are red.

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Taking centre stage on the dash is the 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and a 9.0-inch infotainment screen that doubles up as the Honda LogR data logger for track days and to impress your friends at the mamak.

With the unique new dashboard in the Civic, Honda also took advantage of its prominent honeycomb air-conditioning vents by moving the serial number plaque there instead of the centre console near the shifter like its predecessor. It’ll definitely be hard to miss this time.

Now onto the bit everyone has been waiting for. Honda carried over the 2.0-litre VTEC Turbo four-cylinder engine but not without some revisions for better performance.

There’s a revised turbo with a more compact housing for efficiency while the blades themselves were optimised for improved flow.

Nonetheless, Honda didn’t provide performance figures for the engine. Based on the previous Type R that made 320 PS and 400 Nm of torque, you can expect this one to definitely claim bragging rights. There’s even a high-efficiency exhaust system that improves the power-to-weight ratio, so expect it to be the most powerful Type R when Honda does make the announcement.

For context’s sake, the new Type R has already set a new front-wheel drive record at Japan’s Suzuka Circuit.

Also Read: Hear the 2023 Honda Civic Type R set a new Suzuka lap record: 2 minutes 23.12 seconds

The only transmission available here is a six-speed manual, much like from its predecessor. Honda also carried over the gear knob for it. It’s not a copy and paste job though as the engineers installed a high-rigidity lever and optimised shift gate pattern while the recalibrated the rev-match downshift for smoother operation.

Alongside the iconic Championship White, the new Civic Type R can be had in Racing Blue, Rallye Red, Crystal Black or Sonic Grey Pearl.