2025 Honda Civic Si facelift – 200 horsepower, new look, tweaked suspension, manual trim, still US exclusive
The Honda Civic Si has been something of an enthusiast’s forbidden fruit – a sporty, almost hot stepping stone between the ordinary Civil and powerful but expensive Type R that we were lucky enough to get our hands on. Well, you’ll have to continue admiring the car from afar, as this newly upgraded 11th-generation model continues to be a special edition only available in the United States.
Still a performance bargain, the Si starts at US$29,950 (RM139,700) and boasts a refreshed look, improved driving dynamics, increased standard kit and more advanced technology, combined with a more powerful turbocharged engine and a manual gearbox. In fact, it’s the only car in the segment to be offered exclusively with a row-your-own gearbox.
There’s nothing wrong with the upgraded 1.5-liter four-cylinder VTEC Turbo engine (now Exclusive to Si), so it remains the same, continuing to produce 200 horsepower and 193 pound-feet of torque. The six-speed manual and helical limited-slip front differential also remain, but the gearbox’s rev-matching action has been expanded and will now smooth out shifts from second to first.
Most of the effort has gone into making the Si a sharper driver. Reinforcement of the lower B-pillars and rear sills increases torsional and bending stiffness – something the retuned dampers take advantage of. You (well, not you specifically, unless you’re in the US) can also now get the car with performance summer tires as a factory option.
The Si carries over all the design tweaks introduced on the Upgrade model earlier this year, with a larger hexagonal honeycomb grille (no more “brow”), a wide Type R-style central air intake, slim vertical corner air intakes, and smoked LED taillights.
Si-specific highlights include a front splitter and rear spoiler that are said to increase downforce, along with gloss black door mirrors and window trim, and 18-inch black alloy wheels with a new V-spoke design. The rear wheels hide larger brakes than the standard Civic.
Inside, the Si gets body-hugging sports seats that are now heated, along with new shift lights in the instrument cluster, alloy pedals, red accents and stitching, and a leather and aluminum shift knob. A sunroof and a 12-speaker Bose sound system are standard.
There’s also a standard 9-inch infotainment touchscreen, which notably now integrates Google services like Google Maps, Google Assistant, and the Play Store. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are still available, but users can now plug in their devices via the USB-C port up front.
The Honda Sensing suite of driver-assistance tools has been improved with better motorcycle and bicycle detection for automatic emergency braking, as well as smoother and more natural responses from the adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist systems.
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