The Honda Civic Si – A Victim of Stolen Identity
The Honda Civic is an iconic car. It has proven itself in the hands of buyers who exploit each ounce of life the car has to give, as well as to those enthusiasts who seek to add thousands of dollars of upgrades to their project car, to those who just want an affordable family transportation method. The success of the Civic has been nearly unrivaled through its many years of production.
The “sport injected” version, or “Si”, was an enjoyable performance oriented variant of the otherwise mundane yet bullet-proof compact car. Easily tunable and an affordable alternative to a more expensive sports car, the Si became near and dear to the enthusiast market, creating an incredibly strong cult following throughout its years of existence.
In 2012, Honda refreshed the Si. As part of this refresh, Honda did the unspeakable. While the 6-speed manual transmission, mechanical limited slip differential, and VTEC all stayed, Honda gave the Si a new heart. The engine was upgraded to a slightly larger and more powerful 2.4 liters, but it just did not rev out quite as high as the previous versions, and that was a problem. The largest part of traditional Si-ness, the free-spirited, high-revving engine, had been taken away with some minor surgery. While by no means a complete overhaul or even by some standards, a huge change, this marked the coming of an evolution that was not well-accepted among the enthusiasts that made up the Si faithful.
This past year, Honda gave its Civic a complete overhaul. You would expect that the coming of time would be good for the manufacturer’s compact offering, and it has. Updated styling, a new engine, and the addition of some new body styles and trims are definitely a welcome addition to the lineup. Better performance and fuel economy is desired and indeed, expected, by everyone today. Civic accomplished that along with an exterior styling transformation that is refreshing and sharp. Honda even announced that for the first time ever, the Civic Type R, available until now only in Europe, would be making its debut here in the States. Enthusiasts rejoiced and even those not involved so much in the world of automobiles were taken in by the lines and performance of the Type R. The last model within the civic lineup to be released was the lowly Si. Overshadowed by the release of the rest of the Civic lineup, already proven to produce better performance than the previous generation, and greatly disguised by the debut of the Type R, the Civic Si was finally released. It was very as-expected. Looking a little less sporty than the sleek and sexy Type R and just a hair more athletic than the regular civic models, the Si was completely as it should be.
“As it should be” does not always mean “good”. The specs of the new Si came out shortly thereafter, and an audible groan traveled through the motoring enthusiast world. Honda announced that the engine choice was a tiny 1.5 liter, turbocharged, direct injected, four-cylinder, from the base civic. While still only available in a manual, with upgraded suspension, mechanical limited slip differential, and slightly up-tuned exhaust, the horsepower was no greater than the outgoing model with a slight bump in torque. Perhaps the largest travesty however, is the deletion of the legendary VTEC. While progressive in terms of the automobile industry as a whole, it was at this point which the enthusiast had to say that the magic had been taken from the car. The recipe had been great until now. The recipe created a cult following rivaled only by a few. Why did they change something so great? Perhaps it was not all bad though. The coming of the Type R gave the enthusiast market what they had been longing after for years.
Even after the introduction of the Type R and the official release of the Si and its specifications, there is still a big problem that remains. The Civic Si represents a different price point and a market that isn’t always going to be able to afford the more desirable Type R. Additionally, there is the problem of performance. All the other Civic variants received a boost in performance in order to stay one step ahead of the competition, or to at least match the competition. The Si received no such performance upgrades. On paper, it is the same as the outgoing model with a small boost in torque. Performance has never really been an issue with the Si. The Si of old had character. It was playful and fun while never really being fast. It didn’t need to be fast. It always just gave a little more than the standard car, enough to set it apart as the “performance” model, and it always went about its business so well. It was completely enjoyable!
As we see the new Si at present, it is easy to look at the Type R and drool over what it is and the fact that it is finally going to be available to us. Even to see one in person is a dream that many of us have. Then we look in the opposite direction and see all of the other Civic offerings that, by all accounts so far, are genuinely good vehicles, even by enthusiast standards. They are competitive in the market for which they were designed and the improvements are a natural evolution of the Civic. As we come back to the Si, we see the exterior styling and think to ourselves how refreshingly special it looks. Then, as we just walk slowly around the vehicle, taking in every inch of it, we can understand that this is a re-designed Civic Si, but one that has had a heart transplant. We also see, that in the process of the surgery, the car has also lost something even more spectacular than its original source of vitality. It has lost its soul, and therefore, also its character. We are left with a car that doesn’t compete well with those in its class. It lags far behind the Golf GTI and Subaru WRX in terms of performance and the tried-and-true recipe of years past would have continued to give the Si the character and resilience the Si always had.
Honda has successfully changed the identity of the Civic Si. It is still an affordable “performance” car that wears the ubiquitous “H” on the front of the grille; however, the Si recipe has been fundamentally changed. While this doesn’t mean that the Si will be a terrible car, it does mean that there will be a huge shift in the culture surrounding the Si. The old tradition has been covered up and a new tradition will be created. It seems then, that the Si’s identity has not only been truly lost but also is, sadly, unrecoverable.
–SWF
