With sporty style and handling, the Honda Civic SI six-speed gives the driver full control over the driving experience.
For more than 50 years, a half a century, the Honda Civic, has been a staple in the manufacturer’s lineup. The Civic SI entered the lineup in 1984, and the eleventh generation SI hit the market for the 2022 model year. After a week behind the wheel of the 2023 Honda Civic SI (sport injection), this car offers everything you need and nothing you don’t.
A walk around this four-door sporty sedan indicates it is built for drivers and has some hidden secrets. The colour palette even offers pizzazz not only in colour but the naming conventions: Blazing Orange Pearl, Crystal Black Pearl, Platinum White Pearl, Sonic Grey Pearl and Rallye Red (no that is not a typo). Contrasts on this front-wheel drive include 18” Matte Black aluminum-alloy wheels, black front splash guards, black front grill and rear tail spoiler. Above, a tinted moon roof.
The sporty style continues in the Civic SI interior. Racing style SI branded two-tone red/black canvas seats for both passenger and driver. Place your feet onto aluminum trimmed sport pedals. Manual transmissions are such a rarity these days that when one appears, it’s exciting so driver’s will be thrilled to see a six-speed shifter. The manual transmission defaults to Rev-Match Control but you can turn it off if it is too much for you.
Front and rear seats are heated. The heated steering wheel is wrapped in leather for a solid two-handed grip. It is slightly disappointing that the steering wheel is not squared off at the bottom for such a sporty car.
The dash provides a 9” colour, touchscreen display offering the usual Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, Bluetooth streaming, SiriusXM and radio. Place your phone down onto the wireless charge pad and all operation becomes available from the touchscreen or the steering wheel. However, with the SI, you will be listening to your favourite tunes from a 12-speaker Bose premium sound system with speed-sensitive volume control.
Sit behind the tilt, telescopic steering wheel and take in the LED dual digital dial housed in the 10.2” colour display perfectly placed in the window of the steering wheel. Choose from three driving modes: Normal (average driving experience), Sport (tighten it all up) or Individual (custom options).
Push start and the 1.5 L, 4-cylinder turbo charged engine growls with performance just waiting to be experienced. You can’t help but reach high RPM in the lower gears. However, too high and a stream of lights illuminate the dash like a race car from yellow to red.
The engine in the Civic SI produces a whopping 192 lb.-ft torque and 200HP at 6,000 RPM which is precisely where you will be changing the lower gears simply for the pure sound of engine performance as it exits the dual chrome tail pipe finisher. Vehicle handling is superb and backed by 4-wheel ABS brakes, collision mitigation braking system, vehicle stability assist with traction control, a forward collision warning system and, for those who stay away from manual transmission because of hills, hill start assist.
The Civic SI also offers plenty of passive safety as well. There are front, side curtain, side, rear side and front seat knee air bags. Lane keeping assist is switchable with steering wheel mounted controls. Front seat safety belts are height adjustable. Driving with a family? Lower anchors and tethers for those little passengers in car seats as well as child lock doors for those investigative fingers that need to know what levers and buttons do.
Daily operation offers LED running lights and the darkness is illuminated with LED fog lights, LED headlights with automatic high-beam. The rear-view mirror automatically adjusts to unexpected weather changes are no issue with rain sensing windshield wipers. When the temperature dips, side mirrors get some heat so you can maintain visibility throughout those mountain ranges.
The Civic SI is a car for all ages and lifestyles offering reliability, consistency and fuel efficiency. All the fun of driving, the right number of bells and whistles, and still affordable in price and operation. Fuel efficiency averages out at 7.7L per 100 km.
As we round out 2023, the 2024 models are slowly arriving to showroom floors. There are no significant changes to the Honda Civic SI in 2024. MSRP: $37,585 for 2024.
