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2006 Honda Civic Si Road & Track Test

The "Si"zzle is Back

Am I the only one who thinks that the legendary Si badge has been a little mistreated in recent years? Once it was revered among hot-hatch aficionados, placed right beside VWs GTI designation, but now, after fitting the alpha badge to the jellybean shaped, slab-sided, merely zippy instead of out-and-out fast British-made Civic hatch, Si has lost some of its "si"zzle, so to speak.

Honda shouldnt have any trouble putting such lackluster memories and poor sales to rest, now that its all new Civic Si is available. Not only does it look better, and more distinctive than any previous Civic coupe, but it also boasts a monolithic improvement

Hondas Si has got its "si"zzle back! (PHoto: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

in performance.

The new Si poses an entirely new threat in the super-compact segment, with a much more respectful 197-horsepower under the hood, a 23 percent upgrade over the previous Si. Torque is improved too, but not so dramatically. At 139 lb-ft, it now shows a clear edge when shown side-by-side with last years car, which could only muster 132 lb-ft. While

The new Si poses an entirely new threat in the super-compact segment, with a much more respectful 197-horsepower under the hood, a 23 percent upgrade over the previous Si. (Photo: American Honda)

a four-cylinder engines peak horsepower is expected to arrive at high revs, especially a Honda four-cylinder, the Sis 7,800 rpm peak is heady indeed. Peak torque doesnt exactly come on too quickly, however, being that it isnt maximized low down in the rev range, but instead needs 6,300 rpm to achieve full thrust. Still, theres a lot more available throughout

The high-revving i-VTEC equipped engine is mated to a short throw six-speed manual transmission that is a dream to shift. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)?

the rev range than there used to be, giving the Si much greater pull no matter the speed.
The high-revving i-VTEC equipped engine is mated to a short throw six-speed manual transmission that is a dream to shift, and connects through to a helical limited-slip differential that is ideal for getting all the power to the tarmac.

That power, as expected, was immediately noticeable on the street, making Hondas PR

The track, filled with a wonderful combination of low-speed turns, high-speed corners and long open straights, was exactly the right size for pushing the little Si to its limit. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)?

team both kind and wise to have rented out a private racetrack for journalist use during the models Chicago introduction.

The track, filled with a wonderful combination of low-speed turns, high-speed corners and long open straights, was exactly the right size for pushing the little Si to its limit, and the added luxury of doing so in safety, without the constant worry of oncoming traffic or police regulation, made the experience all the more fruitful.

Out of the pits,

The ride is both sportier than the outgoing Civic Si and more rigid than its four-door siblings, which helps it manage corners with less body lean while braking in a more controlled manner. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press) ?

its near 200-horsepower maximum is adrenaline inducing, especially when factoring in the 2.0-liter engine only needs to motivate 2,881 pounds of total mass - my 165 lbs not included. According to Road & Track magazine 0 to 60 mph flashes by in a respectable 6.8 seconds while the quarter mile needs 15.1 seconds. The engine revs to a stratospheric 8,000 rpm, not as otherworldly as the old 2.0-liter four in the S2000, which managed a cool 9,500 rpm at full song, but high-revving just the same. And making the Si even more enticing, it should deliver extremely good

The boost from the Sis adrenaline inducing engine and six-speed manual gearbox was intoxicating, and the fact that that the car maneuvered so effortlessly around the courses tight corners, even at high-speed, built confidence with each passing lap. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)?

fuel economy for its class - although at the time of writing not even estimates have been made available. What we do know, however, is that it achieves the same ULEV-2 (Tier 2, Bin 5) emissions rating as its less powerful Civic siblings.

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