Honda Civic Type R vs Toyota GR86

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

Honda Civic Type R in South Africa

Honda Civic Type R

2.0T Type R Manual Petrol 6-Speed Manual Current
ZAR 1,021,600 ex-showroom
⚡ 315 kW 🔧 420 Nm ⛽ 12 km/l
VS
Toyota GR86 in South Africa

Toyota GR86

2.4 Automatic Petrol 6-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 799,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 173 kW 🔧 250 Nm ⛽ 10.9 km/l
＋ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

Honda Civic Type R vs Toyota GR86: the short answer

Civic Type R and GR86 are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

GR86 starts ZAR 271,700 cheaper Civic Type R from ZAR 1,021,600 · GR86 from ZAR 749,900

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification Civic Type R GR86
Maximum Power Civic Type R315 kW GR86173 kW @ 7000 rpm
Maximum Torque Civic Type R420 Nm GR86250 Nm @ 3700 rpm
Engine Size Civic Type R1996 cc GR862387 cc
Combined Fuel Economy Civic Type R12 km/l GR8610.9 km/l
Ground Clearance Civic Type R130 mm GR86130 mm

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Specification evidence leader

Civic Type R

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • Fewer listed safety features
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Efficiency Published Practicality

GR86

Strengths
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: General Use

Which One's Right for You?

Civic Type R

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

GR86

  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Civic Type R GR86
Model Introduced Year 2023 2022
Generation 2.0L VTEC Turbo: 235 kW / 420 Nm. 0–100 km/h in 5.4 seconds. Top speed 275 km/h. 6-speed manual only — no automatic option. Second generation GR86 with improved 2.4L engine
Facelift History FL5 generation launched globally in 2023 — sixth generation Type R. Major redesign from the aggressive FK8. Cleaner exterior with mature styling but improved performance. Second generation introduced in 2022 with more power
Facelift Launched Since 2023 2022
Facelift Version Ending Current Current
Body Style Sedan Sedan
Color Note Sedan White, Red, Black, Grey, Blue
Dealer Stock Note Flagship grade in the South Africa lineup Top grade in the South Africa lineup
Model Year 2026 2026
Production Status active published
Segment Sedan Sedan
Tare Mass Kg 1430 kg 1270 kg
Vehicle Type Sedan Sedan
Spec Civic Type R GR86
Length 4595 mm 4265 mm
Width 1890 mm 1775 mm
Height 1405 mm 1310 mm
Wheelbase 2735 mm 2575 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 130 mm 130 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 123 mm -
Fuel Tank Capacity 47 l 50 l
Boot/Cargo Space 410 l 237 l
Kerb Weight 1430 kg 1270 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 1850 kg 1660 kg
Payload Capacity 420 kg -
Towing Capacity 0 kg -
Seating Capacity 4 seats 4 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows -
Doors 4 doors 4 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 5.7 m 5.4 m
Front Headroom 998 mm -
Rear Headroom 942 mm -
Front Legroom 1074 mm -
Rear Legroom 950 mm -

In depth: how these cars differ

This Civic Type R and GR86 comparison uses the exact South African derivatives selected above. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: Civic Type R 87 vs GR86 67.

Efficiency index: Civic Type R 47 vs GR86 45.

Safety-equipment index: Civic Type R 92 vs GR86 96.

Practicality index: Civic Type R 53 vs GR86 46.

Ownership-cover index: Civic Type R 43 vs GR86 43.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

Civic Type R leads by 6 points

Civic Type R and GR86 are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 67 /100
Lead 6 points
Data 87% source coverage
67
#1 Evidence leader

Civic Type R

87% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 92 Check Ownership 43
Performance 87
Efficiency 47
Safety 92
Practicality 53
Ownership 43
Leads by 6 points
61
#2

GR86

79% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 96 Check Ownership 43
Performance 67
Efficiency 45
Safety 96
Practicality 46
Ownership 43
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Civic Type R +20 Efficiency Civic Type R +2 Safety GR86 +4 Practicality Civic Type R +7 Ownership Level

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

Civic Type R

Performance 87/100
Efficiency 47/100
Safety 92/100
Practicality 53/100
Ownership 43/100

GR86

Performance 67/100
Efficiency 45/100
Safety 96/100
Practicality 46/100
Ownership 43/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index Honda Civic Type R leads the specification evidence index with 67 pts vs 61 pts for GR86

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, Civic Type R leads. However, GR86 may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Related comparisons

Continue with closely related South African models and comparable body styles.

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Civic Type R vs GR86 questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the exact South African derivatives on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.