The Honda Civic Type R is one of those vehicles that you don’t hear a lot of people complaining about. Beyond its admittedly high price tag, any gripes about the model are typically nitpicks. However, there are a few items that could be tweaked without ruffling any feathers and the manufacturer has decided to publicly address this at the 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon.
Some drivers have argued that the Type R needs to be all-wheel drive or that the suspension is unfit for anything other than a racetrack. Any mechanical changes would fundamentally shift the car’s demeanor, undoubtedly breaking the hearts of countless enthusiasts. Meanwhile, giving customers the option of picking something other than the default red seats isn’t going to upset anybody.
It would be wrong to argue that the Civic has a bad interior. The front seats are excellent for a sporting automobile, thanks largely to the synthetic-suede upholstery Honda used. But not everyone is going to want it in such a loud color and that’s been all the company has been willing to offer on the current generation — until now.
Honda introduced the “Civic Type R Racing Black Package” at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon. The name is a slight misnomer, however. Honda’s 2.0-liter K20C1 still produces 315 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque with the package installed. No tuning has been done. There have likewise been no changes to the brakes, suspension, or anything else you can bolt onto the vehicle. Instead, customers receive black Ultrasuede upholstery — including on the dashboard, which helps eliminate reflective glare.
While the red interior is indeed eye catching, it feels like the kind of color picked for collectors and not the people who buy these cars to drive them everyday. Some of us also want to be more covert about our penchant for hooliganism and not constantly worry about how dirty our pants are before climbing into the driver’s seat. If there was a CTR in my driveway, I would certainly want black seats installed and the rear wing removed.
Honda presumably thinks that I’m not the only person who feels this way. But the Civic Type R Racing Black Package goes a little further than just a palette swap. In addition to the darker seats, the package likewise adds black suede to the door panels, steering wheel, dashboard, and anywhere else Honda thought it would work.
Other changes include blackened knobs and white accent stitching — instead of the usual red — upgraded wireless phone charging and a rear-view mirror with an automatic dimmer . The rest of the package is focused on adding contrasting colors (silver or black) around the vents and switchgear to further differentiate the interior from that of the standard Civic Type R.
Sadly, Honda hasn’t confirmed the package for North America just yet and it’s shaping up to be a rather expensive option. On its home market, standard Civic Type R comes with a ¥4,997,300 MSRP (roughly $31,600 USD) whereas the Civic Type R Racing Black Package raises that MSRP to ¥5,998,300 (or $38,000).
Considering the same car is likely to list for at least $46,000 inside the United States, the additional $7,000 for an all-black interior is probably going to be too rich for most people. That’s rather disappointing to learn and made worse by reminding us just how much less the vehicle retails for in Japan. The good news is that you can always install your own seats and put the red ones into storage until they eventually accumulate in value or just hire someone to reupholster your interior for less than what Honda is asking, regardless of whether the Black Package becomes available in North America.
[Images: Honda]
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Source: The Truth About Cars
