2017 Honda Civic Si Prototype Preview
CARS.COM — The redesigned Honda Civic is a seriously fun to drive compact car that’s about to get cranked up for 2017 with the introduction of the high-performance Si coupe and sedan. Sitting between the base Civic and track-oriented Type R, the Civic Si debuting at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show is a “prototype” that’s more of a preview of a production car than a concept.
More 2016 L.A. Auto Show Coverage
Honda released promising tidbits about the 2017 Si, like the turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine will be the most-powerful Si to date, eclipsing the 205 horsepower of the outgoing Si’s naturally aspirated 2.4-liter four-cylinder. That turbo engine only pairs with a six-speed manual transmission, which routes power to the wheels through a limited-slip differential. Handling-wise, Honda says the Si will have active suspension and steering, but to what extent hasn’t fully been divulged just yet.
“This will be, hands down, the fastest, best-handling Si we’ve ever offered to our customers,” said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president and general manager of Honda, in a statement.
The Si shown at the L.A. Auto Show wears a bunch of aerodynamic add-ons from Honda Factory Performance (front and rear splitters, rear spoiler) and HFP 19-inch wheels. On the inside, the Si has unique seats with stitched Si logos, red accent stitching, aluminum pedals and an aluminum shift knob.
The enthusiast crowd hasn’t had a Civic Si since Honda pulled the plug for 2015 in anticipation of the redesigned 2016 Civic. The previous Civic Si was easily outclassed by more powerful, better handling sport compact cars; all signs point to the Civic putting up a better fight for 2017 against staples like the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Subaru WRX, but we’ll have to wait until next year to tell for sure.
