2022 Honda Civic Si sedan unveiled for the US

The covers have come off the 2022 Honda Civic Si sedan for the US market, previewing some of the styling and features coming in the full-blooded Civic Type R.

Honda will offer the Civic Si to North American buyers as a sporty and fun model, sitting below the Civic Type R – but with the Si adopting some features from its performance-oriented sibling.

The new Civic Si is powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 260Nm and 149kW – down 4kW over the outgoing model – and driving the front wheels exclusively through a six-speed manual transmission.

The manual’s throw has been reduced by 10 per cent and adopts the Civic Type R’s rev-matching system, while the flywheel has been lightened by 26 per cent to allow for easier revving.

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Also borrowed from the Type R hot hatch are front suspension components, helping to stiffen up the front-end by 79 per cent over the Civic EX sedan, while steering and braking are also improved over the standard model.

Shock absorbers specific to the Si are matched with stiffer springs, bushings, and thicker stabiliser bars, all riding on a set of black 18-inch alloy wheels.

Styling for the sporty Civic also gives us a good indication of what we can expect when the Type R finally lands, albeit with a large rear wing and more aggressive body kit.

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Inside, the Civic Si gets sports seats and pedals, red contrast stitching, and a 9.0-inch high-definition infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – all running through a 12-speaker Bose premium sound system.

As the 2022 Honda Civic Si is based on the sedan body – which isn’t being offered in Australia – there’s little chance we’ll see the variant re-join the line-up locally.

With Honda promising to launch the hatchback in Australia in the fourth quarter of 2021, expect more details to come through in the coming weeks – including details on the Civic Type R.