The Honda Civic Si's Leaked Torque Rating Beats the Base Accord, at Least

Honda isn’t one to dish details on a new product miles ahead of a debut, but information has a way of springing leaks.

An email sent to Honda aficionados from the automaker has ended up on the CivicX forum, and its description of the upcoming Civic Si’s torque rating is apparently legit. However, those fans wish it wasn’t, as the number isn’t exactly that of a performance monster.

How much torque can Civic Si buyers expect from the model’s turbocharged 1.5-liter? 192 lb-ft. And yes, it’s a real number, a Honda representative told Road & Track. Someone at Honda slipped up and offered up the info well before its release date.

Terrific, but what about horsepower? Sorry, you’ll have to wait for another leak to learn that information, unless the automaker succeeds in keeping its mouth shut. Past speculation stated that the model’s horsepower could reach 220, but that now seems too high a ceiling.

With half of the output picture revealed, the Civic Si is clearly shaping up to be a modestly hotter version of the Civic Sport, not a pavement-scorching rocket. That responsibility falls to the upcoming Type R, which boasts 306 hp and 295 lb-ft. In comparison, the Civic Sport’s 1.5-liter turbo puts out 180 hp and 177 lb-ft, while the base model makes do with 174 hp and 162 lb-ft.

While some may bemoan the Si’s somewhat low torque rating (it trails the subcompact Ford Fiesta ST by 10 lb-ft), it’s still a not-insignificant upgrade from the Civic Sport. It also tops the previous-generation Si’s torque by 18 lb-ft. Not only that, but owners can expect to leave four-cylinder Accords in their dust, if that thought provides any comfort at all. The Sport version of Honda’s ever-popular midsize makes 182 lb-ft from its 2.4-liter engine.

There’s still some bragging rights to be found in the number if you’re broad-minded. Honda hasn’t yet released a launch date for the Si, though we’ll see it in the flesh at next month’s New York Auto Show.

[Image: Honda]