2019 Honda Civic Si tech upgrades make life easier for drivers
More physical knobs and buttons? In 2018? What a breath of fresh air.
Honda's major update to the Civic in its 10th generation introduced an interior design that made life a little more difficult for fans of physical buttons. Honda is slowly changing that, and next up to bat is the 2019 Honda Civic Si .
Honda introduced a raft of changes to the 2019 Honda Civic Si in both coupe and sedan form. Almost all changes involve the interior. Its Display Audio infotainment system suffered from early criticisms over its lack of a volume knob, so Honda added one for 2019, in addition to physical buttons for navigating various corners of the system. Honda also claims it's easier to pair Bluetooth devices.
That's not all. Honda also increased the size of the Si's cupholders, and the climate control now features physical buttons for adjusting the fan speed -- no longer will users have to dive into the touchscreen to deal with that. Honda also adjusted the Si's parking brake switch and its steering wheel controls, although those changes are relatively minor compared to the others.
Having to dive into a menu to change the fan speed only serves to add distraction, not mitigate it. Good on Honda for changing this up.
Outside, the Civic Si remains the slightly sporty lookin' car it's always been, but there are two new colors on offer for 2019 -- Platinum White Pearl for both sedan and coupe, and Tonic Yellow Pearl for the coupe. Summer tires are no longer on offer as a trim, but they're still available as dealer-installed accessories.
The powertrain remains the same for 2019. The Civic Si gets its hustle from a 1.5-liter, turbocharged I4 gas engine, putting out 205 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque. Front-wheel drive is standard, as is a six-speed manual transmission, as is a limited-slip differential and a set of two-mode adaptive dampers. Both coupe and sedan are rated at 28 mpg city and 38 mpg highway.
The 2019 Honda Civic Si starts reaching Honda dealerships on Nov. 1. It will cost $24,300 for either variant, or $25,195 with destination included. It may take longer for the cars to arrive at your local dealer, so if you're interested in one, it might be wise to call ahead.
Honda Civic Si: Check out our review of the 10th-generation Civic's second-sportiest variant.
Honda Civic Type R: If you want full-bore Honda performance, look no further.