Confirmed: the Honda Civic Type R Has One of the Best New Engines
Each year, Wards Auto counts down the 10 Best Engines it came across over the previous 12 months.
The publication recently put out its list for 2017, and lo and behold, the Honda Civic Type R’s 2.0-liter turbocharged VTEC K20C1 engine makes an appearance. Wards said the 306 hp turbo motor has a torquey “sweet spot” around 4,000 RPM, and it was also impressed by the impressive observed fuel economy (26 MPG) during spirited driving.
Seeing the Civic Type R’s motor on this list is hardly surprising considering the glowing reviews many publications gave the Type R and its robust performance powertrain. The 2.0-liter is also propped up by the slick-shifting six-speed manual transmission, which feeds the engine’s power to the front wheels.
SEE ALSO: Honda Civic Type R vs Subaru WRX STI vs VW Golf R vs Ford Focus RS: Sport Compact Comparison
The K20C1 motor is heavily related to the 251 hp K20 2.0-liter turbocharged engine found in the Honda Accord, which Wards said was very close to appearing on its 10 Best list as well. Both motors are apart of the Honda Earth Dreams engine family, but the Accord’s has a slightly smaller turbo than the Civic Type R’s, along with more conservative fuel injectors and less aggressive software tuning. The Accord engine also has a balance shaft for better NVH.
[Source: Wards Auto]
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Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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My 2011 Si sedan is the same way , loves to be driven hard. Hoping to maybe look into getting the New Accord 2.0 turbo, same engine as Type R
K motor in most of its iterations is just a jewel. I have a 2007 civic Si. K 20