Powertrain sorted, Honda turned its attention to making the already well-handling Civic drive like an Si. An updated chassis that boasts an 8 percent increase in torsional rigidity and a 13 percent improvement in bending stiffness is a great start, plus there’s that longer wheelbase and wider track. From there, Honda increased the front spring rate by 8 percent and the rear by 54 percent. The anti-roll bars are stiffer, featuring a 27 mm hollow bar up front and an 18 mm solid bar in the rear. Stiffer suspension bushings and steering components round out the handling checklist.

Interestingly, Honda has done away with the old car’s two-mode shock absorbers after getting mixed feedback. Instead, the new Si has fixed-rate dampers the company claims offers a balance between the two previous modes.

Unlike the old car, Honda did mess with the brakes on this new Si. Now, the front rotors are 1.2 inches larger up front than a standard Civic and 0.9-inch larger in the rear. While the company hasn’t specified, it’s likely the pads have been swapped out for a higher-performance compound. This is another area where the Si didn’t really need improvement, but we welcome it regardless.

Making all the grip for the engine and brakes to work with are standard all-season tires and optional summer tires, 235/40 all around on exclusive matte-black 18-inch rims.

On the outside, you’ll know the Si by its black trunk lid spoiler from a mile away. Other cues include dual exhaust tips, the aforementioned black wheels, and a blacked-out grille. Plus, you know, Si badges front and rear. The Blazing Orange Pearl paint shown here is also an Si exclusive.

Being based on the new Civic also means the Si picks up all the standard active and passive safety equipment it didn’t have previously. Included are things like forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assistance with lane centering, traffic sign recognition, and adaptive cruise control.

Honda isn’t talking price yet, but based on the previous Si, we expect it to be quite affordable. Previously, you could pick one up for as little as $26,130 out the door. With the extra features on this generation, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the price go up a bit, but it’ll likely still be a steal.

We have confirmed Honda will continue to sell only two specs, the standard Si with all-season tires and the Si HPT (High Performance Tires) with summer tires. Otherwise, options will be limited to things like paint color. We have also confirmed that with the death of the Civic Coupe body style. The Si will only be offered as a sedan and not a hatchback (that’s the Type R’s thing).

While Honda hasn’t provided an exact date for sales to being, we’re told the Si will be available by the end of this year.