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2012 Honda Civic Si (photos)

High-revving horsepower plays second fiddle to vastly improved midrange torque and slightly refreshed cabin technology in the 2012 Honda Civic Si.

Antuan Goodwin
Antuan Goodwin gained his automotive knowledge the old fashioned way, by turning wrenches in a driveway and picking up speeding tickets. From drivetrain tech and electrification to car audio installs and cabin tech, if it's on wheels, Antuan is knowledgeable.
Antuan Goodwin
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1 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
For 2012, the Honda Civic Si returns with a simplified, more aggressive aesthetic.

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2 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
We tested the Si in its two-door coupe configuration (it's also available as a sedan).

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3 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
The biggest change for 2012 is the bump in displacement from 2-liter to 2.4-liter.

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4 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
Power meets the road at the front wheels, but not before being passed through the single-option six-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential.

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5 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
Max horsepower has barely changed despite the boost. The 2012 Si now outputs 201 ponies.

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6 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
However, midrange torque has been boosted significantly.

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7 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
What's more, the new Si is 1 mpg more fuel-efficient in the city and 2 mpg more on the highway.

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8 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
Inside, the Si doesn't look dramatically different from the last two 2012 Civics we've tested.
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9 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
However, small changes--such as this leather-wrapped and contrast-stitched steering wheel--are indicators of this Civic's sporty intent.

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10 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
The Si's instrumentation glows red, rather than the blue of the lesser models.
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11 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
Where other Civics feature a fuel efficiency gauge, the Si has an i-VTEC indicator and five-stage shift indicator.

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12 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
Cruise control can be accessed via steering-wheel buttons.

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13 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
Likewise, the driver has access to basic controls for the infotainment system and Honda's i-MID.

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14 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
The i-MID is an auxiliary info display that can be toggled to show a fuel efficiency monitor, audio system metadata, navigation directions, and other info.

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15 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
Unique to the Civic Si is this power meter that shows the percentage of the Civic's available power that is being accessed.

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16 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
Honda's main touch-screen interface is located at the top of the center stack and hasn't changed much with the 2012 upgrade.

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17 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
A seven-speaker audio system includes a subwoofer. Audio quality is good enough, but doesn't come near the best premium rigs in the Civic's segment.

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18 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
Honda's navigation system features traffic flow and traffic incident data.

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19 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
Unfortunately, the maps still look as bad as they always have. Just look at those jagged streets and that aliased, uneven text!

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20 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
The navigation system features an extensive voice command system, but a clunky interface would have us looking longingly at an aftermarket in-dash navigation system.

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21 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
The driver-focused dashboard wraps slightly around the driver's seat, but the airy cabin keeps things from feeling too claustrophobic.

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22 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET
"Si"-embroidered seats with contrast stitching are nice visual touch and offer decent bolstering for performance driving.

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