- Doors and Seats
2 doors, 4 seats
- Engine
2.0i, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
147kW, 192Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 9L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Manual
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Playing against type
Good: Great fun to drive. Engine is a technical marvel. Goes berserk from 6,000rpm. Slick, short-throw six-speed gearbox. Agile handling and fine balance for a front-driver. Brakes. Grip. Fuel economy.
Bad: Overpriced against the competition. Gives away some mid-range performance – all the action's at the top end. Front-drive layout can't match rivals' dynamic poise. Hard ride. Squeezy driver's seat. Useless back seat. Toy instruments. Space-saver spare.
Verdict: Sacrificed in a fuel-ish cause.
Stars: 3 (out of 5).
Serious fans of fast fours have howled down Honda's new Integra Type R as an impostor.
The Australian Type R, detuned compared with the Japanese domestic version, is closer in specification to the North American version, the Acura RSX Type S.
The 2.0-litre four-cylinder i-VTEC engine fitted to our Type R produces 147kW; the Japanese market powerplant delivers 162kW.
Honda Australia says the limited availability of 98 octane unleaded, which the 162kW engine requires as a minimum to run properly and reliably, means it had to choose the lower-powered version for our market, where its diet of 95-96 octane premium unleaded is more widely, but still far from universally, dispensed.
Subaru faced the same predicament with its WRX and Liberty B4; Mitsubishi imported the Lancer Evo VI as a 98-octane runner, so you need ready access to a major metropolitan Shell or Mobil servo to even consider that performer.
The finger would be more fairly pointed at the oil companies for this situation – they supply the Australian market with relatively low-quality fuel and engage in price gouging at every opportunity – but Honda also has scrimped on some pukka-racer running gear fitted to the "real" Type R.
We get 16-inch alloys with 205/55 tyres. Japan issue is 17-inchers with 215/45s with four-piston-caliper Brembo brakes.
A Macpherson strut suspension, which is less expensive to make, replaces the previous model's independent double-wishbone front end.
The pill is even more difficult to swallow when coated with a $4,000 price rise. The new Type R costs $43,990. Air-conditioning adds $2,000.
That's $4,000-$5,000 more than its main rivals, Subaru's WRX and Nissan's 200SX. If the Honda was quicker than these two, the fast-four fanatics would be more forgiving of the swiftie with the badging – in these circles, the stopwatch settles arguments – but it's not.
Its 7.9 seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint is quicker than the old 1.8-litre Type R. This is still at the rapid end of the grid but is slower than the Nissan and Subaru by 0.5-0.7 sec.
An extra 73kg over the previous model is as much the reason for this as the detuned engine.
Extracting 147kW from a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four is still a technical marvel. The 200SX and WRX need high-boost turbos to achieve 147 and 160kW respectively.
The all-alloy Honda engine now has variable valve lift and duration on both the inlet and exhaust sides, using a three-rocker-arm system from the high-performance NSX. This maximises both mid-range elasticity and top-end power.
Camshaft timing is also varied by a hydraulic actuator on the intake camshaft drive sprocket, to reduce emissions and fuel consumption without compromising performance.
The 2.0 is considerably more refined than the raucous, buzzy 1.8 it replaces, but it retains the motorcycle-like angry, frenetic character and voracious appetite for revs. It is matched with a new six-speed close-ratio gearbox and a torque-sensing limited-slip differential.
It pulls the higher gears easily and cruises at 3,100rpm at 100km/h in sixth, returning great highway fuel economy. Mid-range urge is respectable, though here the Nissan is strongest in the three-way contest and the Subaru is more emphatic from 4,000rpm.
When the tacho passes 6,000, the VTEC system switches the valves to high-lift/long-duration mode and lets rip. The effect is more abrupt than a turbocharger – the revs rise to a howl and the engine spins in an instant to the 7,900rpm redline.
Keep it in this zone and the Type R is fast and furious. It leaps from corner to corner with sensational traction for a front-driver, the Bridgestone Potenzas threatening to slip only if you're completely lead-footed.
The six-speed gearbox is a beauty, with a very short throw, flick-and-snick precision and an equally finely calibrated clutch. Metal pedals, with protruding rubber inserts on the brake and clutch and flush inserts on the accelerator, help you drive the Type R with finesse.
Dynamics are also more disciplined and responsive than other front-drivers. The suspension is solidly built and screwed down hard, so it corners flat and securely. On rough roads, there's a trace of kickback through the steering. Using the same wheels for driving and steering, however, means that near the limit Honda lacks by a whisker the sublime balance, communicativeness and turn-in accuracy of its rivals.
When revving hard, for example, the engine's power and torque inevitably load up the steering, which requires more work to get a tight line and trimming to hold it. The leather-wrapped Momo wheel, though, is a lovely thing to grip.
The anti-lock brakes may not be the real Type R's top-of-the-line Italian pieces, but progression, feedback and power are first class, and they can be worked hard without fade.
The previous model rode like a billy cart; the new Type R is partly saved by its relatively tall tyres, but still at the hard end of this or any other class. It's a pretty uncomfortable long-distance drive; the Bridgestones also generate plenty of noise on coarse-chip bitumen.
The Recaro race replica driver's seat complete with hero-style cut-outs for a full racing harness is similarly unforgiving. It is nicely contoured and supportive, but the suede-trimmed side bolsters are hard on the hipbones and you need to be careful not to straddle them when climbing in and out "Painful, that," as Richie Benaud would say.
Tall drivers will use all the front seat's travel. The wheel is height-adjustable, but the seat height is fixed, so shorter occupants may find it too low. The integrated head restraints are too far back to provide proper protection in a rear-ender.
The dash is minimalist in style and content, with silly fake metal instruments which look like they're off a kid's toy. The air-con and audio buttons are few and easily reached, there's little storage space and relatively spartan trim.
An in-dash CD player, dual airbags and remote central locking are standard.
Fit and finish are fine, but the test car had a few chirps and squeaks in the cabin.
The two back seat occupants sit under glass, so they'll fry on a sunny day.
Access, leg and headroom are restricted, the backrest is short and the head restraints useless.
The boot is reasonably spacious, though you have to lift the load over a high lip to get it in. The 50/50 split-folding rear seat back creates a long floor, underneath which is a 125/70 space-saver spare.
The Integra Type R is about as convincing as a front-drive sportster gets, but the rival 200SX and WRX are cheaper, easier to live with and superior on the road. The rear-drive Nissan goes harder, is wonderfully balanced and talks to you as few other cars do; the all-wheel-drive Subaru is more civilised but breathtakingly capable and quick from point to point.
The "real" Type R might close the gap, but probably would still not bridge it.
Vital signs
Engine: 2.0-litre 16-valve fuel-injected four-cylinder>
Power: 147kW at 7,400rpm (above average).
Performance: 0-100km/h in 7.9 seconds (quick).
Brakes: Discs for ABS (excellent).
Economy: 7.0 litres/100km highway; 11.3 city (excellent).
Prices: Recommended retail - $43,990. Street prices - $1,000 off.
Main options: Air-conditioning $2,000.
Warranty: Three years/100,000km (average).
Retained value: 61 percent after three years (average).
Safety rating: Not yet tested. Previous Integra rated Acceptable in crash tests.
Alternatives:
Alfa Romeo 147 - $38,500
Audi A3 1.8 turbo - $44,950
Nissan 200SX Spec S - $40,990
Subaru WRX sedan - $41,490
Toyota Celica SX - $40,570
VW Golf GTi - $41,290