After speculations about what Honda Cars Philippines would bring next, the covers have been removed to unveil the 2023 Honda Civic Type R FL5.

That's right! The Japanese brand has brought the latest version of its performance hatchback into the country but with a catch.

Unlike before, which had a bigger allotment into the triple digits, this time around, the sixth-generation Civic Type R is only limited to 30 units, so you better move quickly as orders for these vehicles will come swiftly and could potentially sell out the car within the first few hours.

A new sleeker exterior

The 2023 Honda Civic Type R takes much of the design cues from its regular counterpart, the Honda Civic. It comes with the brand’s latest minimalist design language, which chooses smoother and more subtle lines over the aggressive lines of its predecessor.

It still retains the sleek LED headlights of the regular Civic. However, its bumper has been changed to let more air in, and its fog lights have been removed. 

Just like many of the Type R models before it, this version remains a hatchback. 

This is because, unlike the sedan, it gets a different set of tail lights and a different bumper. It also gets a new set of 19-inch wheels but retains its triple exhaust at the back. The Civic Type R also comes with a wing to give it more downforce at the rear.

A familiar yet sportier interior

The Honda Civic Type R retains the same premium yet minimalist look of its regular Civic variant. You get clean lines, a floating infotainment system with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, and a digital instrument cluster. 

The cabin layout is the same as the regular model, with the critical difference being the red-and-black interior motif to match its sportier designation. 

Aside from the hatchback having a manual transmission, it is equipped with new sports seats with more substantial shoulder and thigh bolstering. The seatbelt color is also now red instead of the conventional black. 

Most powerful Civic Type R ever

Under the hood, the 2023 Honda Civic Type R is powered by a 2.0-liter 16-valve 4-cylinder turbocharged VTEC gasoline engine. It makes 320PS and 420 Nm of torque which is mated to a six-speed manual transmission that sends power exclusively to the front tires.

While the power figures may seem familiar on paper, Honda has tweaked the motor to provide better responsiveness for the FL5.

Honda SENSING as standard

As this is a flagship model of Honda Philippines, it comes with the brand’s Honda SENSING technology.

Despite being performance-oriented, the 2023 Honda Civic Type R has features such as adaptive cruise control, emergency braking, and blind spot assist.

Competitive Pricing but limited availability

While the Honda Civic Type R offers you much more than its predecessor, it comes at a price.

This price is ₱3,880,000, which is reasonable considering the technology you get with the vehicle. However, HCPI says it will initially be available only in two colors - Championship White and Racing Blue Pearl. What's even more of a bummer is that all 40 units coming into the country have been spoken for. 

The question on our minds now is, is the 2023 Honda Civic Type R FL5 better than the FK8 it replaces or is the old model still a great buy?