For over 30 years, Honda Civic models with the small red Si badges have populated American roads. The Si stands for “sports injection”, but it was actually just a marketing moniker for fuel injection. The Si badge first appeared on Civic models like the Honda Civic Hatchback in the mid-80s when most Honda cars still had carburetors. The Si moniker wasn’t just for Honda Civic models either, it was also found on the Prelude, CRX, and the del Sol.
Let’s take a look at some Honda Civic Si models through the years.
1986 – 1990 Honda Civic Si Hatchback
This model was one of the first Si models to be sold in America. It was initially sold as the Civic S in 1985, but it was turned into the Civic Si for 1986 with the addition of fuel injection. The new generation of Civic Si was introduced in 1989. All Civic Si models had redesigned front ends with low hoods, narrow headlights, and clean lines. The engine for this redesign was a 1.6-liter four-cylinder that made 108 horsepower.
1992 Honda Civic Si Hatchback
Another redesign came in 1992 to give the Civic lineup a more rounded, soft appearance, and better technology under the hood. Fuel injection was now standard in the entire Civic lineup, which meant that Honda had to up the ante for the Civic Si to make it stand out. One new piece of technology was variable intake-valve timing and lift, also known as VTEC. This allowed the Civic Si to deliver more torque at lower engine speeds and more straight horsepower at higher speeds. The result was 125 horsepower and 106 pound-feet of torque.
1999 Honda Civic Si Coupe
There was a bit of a hiatus before the Civic Si returned in 1999. This time it was in a coupe version. The performance of this car was kicked up a notch with stiffer springs, anti-roll bars, larger front brake rotors, and a very energetic four-cylinder engine that made 160 horsepower and 111 pound-feet of torque. VTEC was still in place for this car, which made it incredibly fun to drive.
2003 Honda Civic Si Hatchback
This particular model was a strange breed. Unlike every other Civic Si before or after this model, there was no non-Si version. Despite its strange appearance in the lineup, the Civic Si hatchback for this model year featured a larger 2.0-liter engine that made more torque than before at 132 pound-feet. Another strange feature of the 2003 Civic Si was the dashboard-mounted shifter.
2006 – 2007 Honda Civic Si Coupe and Sedan
The coupe and sedan versions of the Civic Si took center stage for this model year range. The 2.0-liter was back, but it added more power at 197 horsepower and 139 pound-feet of torque. A special Mugen Edition sedan was also added for 2008. The sleek sedan was given a flashy body kit and an upgraded suspension, among other features.
2012 – 2014 Honda Civic Si Coupe and Sedan
For 2012 through 2014, it was once again the Civic Si sedan and coupe that were refreshed for this period. Mechanically, these cars stayed the same, but the exterior design was freshened to look more modern. The wheel design ended up resembling the 2015 VW GTI.
2017 – Present Honda Civic Si Coupe and Sedan
Another exterior refresh came for the Civic Si in 2017, but more interesting was the addition of a turbocharged four-cylinder instead of the previous naturally aspirated one. Torque was now available over a much wider range of revs vs. the previous VTEC engines. The horsepower was also available sooner in the revs, and that helped the Civic Si feel more responsive than before.
In the present, 2020 was the last year of the two-door Civic. The Si badge was also announced to take a hiatus until after the 11th generation of Civic was well underway. The 11th generation was fully revealed in early 2021.
