Review and Test Drive: 2017 Honda Civic Si

When the bright red 2017 Honda Civic Si arrived at our offices, it stood out, and not because it was arrest-me-red. Based on the rather boldly styled 2017 Honda Civic, the Si adds a 205-horsepower turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder powerplant, a six-speed manual with short-throw shifter, striking 18” wheels, and gear-limited slip differential.

Based on the Japanese automaker’s popular Honda Civic, which was introduced as an inexpensive subcompact in 1972 although it has grown substantially since then, both in size and what it has to offer, the SI came along as a coupe in 1984 (“Si” stands for “sport injected”) with the third generation of the Civic, and the automaker added a sedan ten years ago.

The 2017 Civic Si was unveiled in April 2017 and hit showrooms a few months later.

DRIVING THE 2017 HONDA CIVIC SI

The first thing one notices upon opening the driver’s door are the truly great looking and exceptionally comfortable Si-specific cloth sports seats with a red Si logo. The leather-wrapped steering wheel has discreet red stitching to complete the look.

The Si is powered by a 1.5-liter four banger that has a 10.3:1 compression ratio, direct injection, 16-valve DOHC with dual variable timing control, and a single-scroll 11-vane turbocharger with an internal waste gate that produces up to 20.3 psi of boost. This results in a power rating of 205 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 192 pound-feet of torque available from 2,100 to 5,000 rpm. It isn’t a high-revving engine since it redlines at 6,500.

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