Honda isn’t one to dish details on a new product miles ahead of a debut, but information has a way of springing leaks.
An email sent to Honda aficionados from the automaker has ended up on the CivicX forum, and its description of the upcoming Civic Si’s torque rating is apparently legit. However, those fans wish it wasn’t, as the number isn’t exactly that of a performance monster.
How much torque can Civic Si buyers expect from the model’s turbocharged 1.5-liter? 192 lb-ft. And yes, it’s a real number, a Honda representative told Road & Track. Someone at Honda slipped up and offered up the info well before its release date.
Terrific, but what about horsepower? Sorry, you’ll have to wait for another leak to learn that information, unless the automaker succeeds in keeping its mouth shut. Past speculation stated that the model’s horsepower could reach 220, but that now seems too high a ceiling.
With half of the output picture revealed, the Civic Si is clearly shaping up to be a modestly hotter version of the Civic Sport, not a pavement-scorching rocket. That responsibility falls to the upcoming Type R, which boasts 306 hp and 295 lb-ft. In comparison, the Civic Sport’s 1.5-liter turbo puts out 180 hp and 177 lb-ft, while the base model makes do with 174 hp and 162 lb-ft.
While some may bemoan the Si’s somewhat low torque rating (it trails the subcompact Ford Fiesta ST by 10 lb-ft), it’s still a not-insignificant upgrade from the Civic Sport. It also tops the previous-generation Si’s torque by 18 lb-ft. Not only that, but owners can expect to leave four-cylinder Accords in their dust, if that thought provides any comfort at all. The Sport version of Honda’s ever-popular midsize makes 182 lb-ft from its 2.4-liter engine.
There’s still some bragging rights to be found in the number if you’re broad-minded. Honda hasn’t yet released a launch date for the Si, though we’ll see it in the flesh at next month’s New York Auto Show.
[Image: Honda]
It seems kind of inaccurate to compare it straight-across with an NA 2.4 Accord, since, as a 1.5T, it’ll achieve that torque much lower in the rev range.
A high-revving torqueless wonder. Yay.
You’ll learn to use all 6 gears and like it, sonny.
Those “save the manuals” people can put their money where their mouths are.
The 1.5T is not a particularly high-revving engine.
Compared to the other engines in this class it is, isn’t it? See VW’s 1.4T or 1.8T, the GM 1.4 and 1.5T engines, Ford’s 1.5 ecoboost, etc. They have a much more “turbodiesel character” than the Honda turbos from what I understand (haven’t driven the Honda personally).
If they can hold 180 lbs*ft of torque up to 6500 RPM, they’ll make 220 horsepower.
Came here to say that exact thing. The 1.5 T has been shown to be able rev outside of forced induction. Maybe they fixed it for this version? Or mildly improved torque map and a redline up to 7500?
180 lbs*ft at 7500 RPM is 255 horsepower. That sounds about perfect to this older Civic Si owner.
While it is unfortunate that the figures aren’t higher, it is still 20lbs higher than the last gen.
Hopefully they will do some suspension/steering work to make the Si fun to toss around as a DD. Would be nice to have something that has similar “fun to toss around” character like the fiesta ST, but in a bigger more practical vehicle.
We shall see
Can we hope that this means Honda will fit a bigger turbo to the Si, allowing for more high-rpm hijinks at the expense of some lag? That would certainly be in the character of previous NA Sis.
Whatever the final numbers may be, that is still one busy looking car. The red color seems to blend a few of the angles and I like the exhaust. The rear looks better than the standard Civic hatchback, which is just plain ugly.
Indeed! This busy look extends all the way into the engine bay. It is a mess.
This is going to bump used TSX prices up. And used Preludes and RSXs. And whatever else there is that exceeds these numbers and does not look like a Lego project.
As much as I’m not in love with my TSX, it is pretty hard to think about what to replace it with for reasonable (<$40k) money. Good size, mechanically reliable, decent looking in a “doesn’t look out of place anywhere” kind of way. The new Acuras aren’t any real improvement, the Germans are just crazy expensive and/or 4cyl turbos, SUVs at that price are all dull mommywagons, the GTI has some appeal but I don’t want a shop queen… Maybe chase a good deal on a Q50? I dunno. For now I’m just going to keep on keeping on with the TSX, but the new market is pretty bleak in the “reliable, somewhat fun to drive, 4dr” segment, especially if you’d rather not do FWD again…
Chris,
I think we have similar automotive tastes. I’m in the preliminary shopping stages for my next DD and I’ve been all over the board (Passat, Accord Sport SE manual, Genesis, thinking about a Conti, dropping the S2k as well and getting a Mustang GT, etc.).
I keep ending up at the best condition G37S/Q50S 4-door I can get my hands on (manual being a bonus), but I’m still not sold on it, and I still have 18 months until my wife’s car is paid off so they’re just getting older.
It really comes down to them not making cars for people like us anymore.
It seems like they probably should’ve put a lower tune version of the 2.0T from the Type R in this car rather than a tuned up version of the 1.5T from the EX-T, no?
Yah, but then there wouldn’t be enough separation between Si and R when tuners figure out how to crank up the boost on the Si.
when honda get dumb?
young d1ck not want liddle ricer no more – want truck
make ridgeline type r
raff out roud.