The redesigned 2022 Honda Civic Si proves that you don’t need to be rich or have access to a racetrack to have fun behind the wheel. Honda skipped racetrack demos for the media preview of the latest generation Civic Si sedan and we’re better for it. Leaving town and twisting through canyons provided the kind of everyday satisfaction promised by one of the best affordable sports cars around.
Climbing single lane mountain roads while tiptoeing beside 1,000-foot drop offs, the Civic Si benefitted from improvements made to the 2022 Honda Civic. The structure of the eleventh-generation sedan (also sold as a hatch) has 8% more torsional rigidity, according to Honda. The latest Si also borrows a few tricks from the Type R, such as standard rev matching for its 6-speed manual transmission, and stiffer suspension arms and bushings.
The body seems longer and lower, and in Blazing Orange it looks a whole lot sexier, but the Accord-like size of the latest Civic is an illusion. It’s only about an inch longer with a 1.4-inch longer wheelbase, and a half-inch wider rear track, but the height is the same.
The illusion materializes on the long nose. The low hood dips down more than the previous generation, and the shoulders have been pulled back for better posture. The Si wears different bumpers than the sedan, the better to show off the dual tailpipes; a rear spoiler and black trim pieces add subtle flair.
The sedan looks good, but it looks even better from the driver’s seat. Honda set the A-pillars back to conspire with the flat dash and low hood and cowl to create fantastic vision from behind the wheel. Inspiration came from the original 1986 Si wedge, in all its greenhouse glory.
1986 Honda Civic Si, red, and 2022 Honda Civic Si
Keyword: 2022 Honda Civic Si toes the line for affordable sport sedans