FK8 Honda Civic Type R facelift in Malaysia – only one

While it wasn’t a volume seller for Honda Malaysia, the FK8 Honda Civic Type R sold in decent numbers following its debut here in 2017, and so when the facelift appeared in 2020, it was expected that there would be a repeat act with the refresh.

That never came, at least not through official channels, until now. Over the weekend, Honda dealer Ban Lee Heng held a Type-R exhibition at its showroom in Melaka, and among the vehicles on display was an FK8 Type R facelift. According to the dealership, the vehicle isn’t a grey import, but has been brought in by Honda Malaysia (HMSB).

Unfortunately, it’s the only one. According to HMSB, which confirmed the car as being an official import, there are no plans to add on to the count; in any case, production of the vehicle came to an end in July this year, in line with closure of the Honda UK Manufacturing plant in Swindon.

The facelift didn’t bring about major changes to the car. Exterior-wise, the car received a larger front grille opening (for improved engine cooling), small body-coloured fins on the large faux air intakes, vents on the front and rear bumpers and a new exclusive colour, Boost Blue, which is what the display car wears.

Inside, there’s a new Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel and a new shifter, which features a restyled knob and shorter shift throws, with Honda Sensing also making its way on to the car.

No changes to the output of the 2.0 litre VTEC Turbo engine, with the K20C continuing on with the same output as before, differently rated for different markets – away from the US, it’s 320 PS (310 PS in our case with the pre-facelift) at 6,500 rpm and 400 Nm of torque from 2,500 to 4,500 rpm. Power goes to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential.

Mechanical changes on the refresh are minor. The car gets new two-piece brake rotors and brake pads, which have been designed to reduce fade and improve high-speed braking efficiency, and there are slight revisions to the suspension. The dampers have been retuned to offer better ride comfort, while stiffer rear bushings have been added to improve grip. Elsewhere, work has been carried out on the front suspension geometry to reduce friction and improve steering feel.

Officially, we’re told that the car will not go on sale, but according to a Ban Lee Heng spokesperson, should it be sold, the price won’t veer very far from the price when the pre-facelift was introduced. The question is, will it even be offered to a buyer? In any case, if you’re interested in viewing it, the Boost Blue example will be on display at Ban Lee Heng’s showroom.

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