Honda is steadily putting right the mistakes it made a few years ago when it introduced a new Civic for 2012, which took the model a little too far downscale. Fixes have been rushed up, from suspension improvements to interior upgrades. Now the Civic coupe, a healthy business for Honda at around 45,000 units sold per year, gets a face lift and fanny tuck that will separate it from the now more adult-looking sedan.

In surveys, coupe buyers have said that they want their vehicle to look different from the sedan, says Honda product planner Jay Guzowski. So Honda dug deep into its pockets and came up with a face-lift budget that includes not just the bumpers, but also the grille and headlight clusters, plus the really expensive stuff: sheetmetal. The Civic coupe gets its own front fenders and hood, as well as a new rear bumper.

View Photos MICHAEL SIMARI, THE MANUFACTURER

The fresh face gives the 2014 Civic coupe some of the look of the European Civic, with the headlights and grille now squeezed into a narrow band that looks a bit sportier and more ballistic than the rather dull face it replaces. Flaring nostrils at each corner, as well as vent-like slots on the back bumper, also hint at mechanical potency—even if it’s just a put-on.

But is it? Okay, mostly it is. But there are 3 more horsepower and 1 more lb-ft of torque from the 1.8-liter four-cylinder thanks to a freer exhaust routing downstream of the catalyst. And some detail work in the suspension for ’14 puts in slightly stiffer springs, a thicker rear anti-roll bar, and new rear shocks that aren’t as flustered by rough pavement. A four-percent increase in the front spring rate is hardly a radical change, but Honda has always been about nuance. It’s all intended to contribute to better wheel control and a firmer sense of stability and control.

View Photos MICHAEL SIMARI, THE MANUFACTURER

The Civic Si benefits from the exterior changes as well, and, thanks to a similar exhaust improvement, goes from 201 horsepower to 205, as well as gaining another 4 lb-ft of torque. A decklid spoiler and a 1-inch increase of the wheel size, to 18, with a new pattern, make the Si even sharper looking. The Si’s interior can be livened up with red seat inserts.

Honda’s changes to the Civic sedan’s suspension weren’t necessarily a cure-all, but they were a marked improvement. Now that the two-door has gone under the knife to address some of the same complaints levied at the four-door, we’re cautiously optimistic it will emerge all the better for it.

MICHAEL SIMARI, THE MANUFACTURER

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