Yahoo Autos 2022 Honda Civic Si revealed as a careful evolution | Specs, pictures
SIGNAL HILL, Calif. — The majority of Americans may see the 2022 Honda Civic as a trusty but mundane economy offering, but that's a bad rap. Sport variants of the Honda Civic have been part of the company's North American offerings for nearly 40 years, dating way back to the nameplate's second generation.
It all began in 1983 with the Honda Civic S hatchback. The "i" wasn't part of the name yet, as it didn't yet use electronic fuel injection, though it did come with a larger 1.5-liter engine than the standard 1.3, and it was visually denoted with red pinstriping and a red "S" badge.
The 2022 Honda Civic Si continues that tradition, this time around based on the 11th-generation Civic. Honda told Autoblog that it chose to use the sedan as a basis (the coupe is sadly dead) because the Civic Sport Touring and upcoming Civic Type R already take on the hatchback form factor. The Si sedan splits the difference and gives buyers a sporty four-door option. Also, because the regular Civic sedan is CVT-only, the Civic Si gives sedan buyers the option of six-speed manual. In fact, as before, it's the only gearbox offered.
Honda bills the 2022 Civic Si as the best-handling and most fun-to-drive Civic Si yet, and given the stellar performance of past examples those are big claims. Some of the improvements come from the generational redesign across the Civic lineup, like a wheelbase that grows by 1.4 inches to 107.7, an 0.5-inch wider track, torsional rigidity upped by 8%, and bending rigidity improved by 13%. These should result in a smoother ride and a more stable feel at speed.
From that foundation, Honda adds more advances that are Si-specific. There's unique tuning for the dampers, spring rates are 8% stiffer, and a hollow 27-mm stabilizer bar should provide better cornering abilities. Steering feel, too, should see an improvement thanks to a 60% stiffer steering torsion bar. The current Civic Type R contributes some bushings as well. They're 79% stiffer than the EX sedan's.
At the rear, it's a similar story. Upper and lower B arms are also plucked from the Type R, matched with an 18-mm solid sway bar and springs that are 54% stiffer. This should make the Civic Si an even more potent corner-carving weapon than before.
The engine remains a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-four, but it's retuned for broader power curves. Though horsepower drops from 205 at 5,700 rpm to an even 200 at 6,000 rpm, Honda says the curve at the top end keeps peak output going longer to the 6,500 rpm redline. Peak torque stays the same at 192 pound-feet but kicks in 300 rpm sooner and keeps at it from 1,800-5,000 rpm. Thanks to turbo technology, the 2022 Civic Si more than doubles the 91 horses and 93 lb-ft of torque from the 1986 Si that Honda also displayed here in Signal Hill for some historical perspective, while maintaining a more usable power band.
Throttle response should see a marked uptick as well, now that the Si comes with a single-mass flywheel that's 26% lighter than the 10th generation's dual-mass unit, resulting in 30% less inertia. Any worry of a fast-dropping tach needle is mitigated by the fact that the six-speed now comes standard with the rev-matching throttle blip from the Civic Type R. The gearbox is now topped by a short-throw shifter reducing required movement by 10%. It also has a nice, solid-y feel (at least while parked).
