Honda officially unveils new Civic Type R with order books opening today

Honda will be officially unveiling its latest hardcore Type R version of the Civic at the Geneva Motor Show later today but we can now reveal first pictures from an exclusive early viewing.

The latest model has been given a revised engine and is based on the newest generation of Civic. Stunning looks make this car stand out against any other model in its segment. Honda has emphasised every line on this car and in comparison it makes the outgoing model look positively plain.

Order books have opened today and customers could get their hands on the new model as early as July of this year.

Largely Honda has stuck to the same winning formula. The controversial 2.0-litre VTEC turbo engine from the previous model returns, but this time it has been optimised to produce 315bhp and peak torque of 400Nm.

Again, the Type R will only be available with the six-speed manual gearbox, however this time round, Honda has adapted its driver settings to offer three different option – comfort, sport and ‘+R’ for a track-ready setting.

This is in response to comments that the previous model was a bit too hard for everyday driving. Honda hasn’t taken anything away, though, with ‘comfort’ giving you a more cossetting ride, ‘sport’ perfect for racing the roadways and ‘+R’ mode designed for taking this car on track and really racing, if you so wish.

Don’t be fooled into thinking this car is all looks and no substance, none of these air vents and spoilers have come from a Halfords multipack. Honda says every element of the exterior has been designed with performance in mind.

Inside, the Type R is based on the standard car but features sporty touches such as bucket seats. Every car gets a plaque with the production number too. Although Honda admitted there will likely be two different lists for Europe and the US, as the latter is predicting huge sales where the Type R has never previously been sold.

It might feel like an incredibly long lead up because the standard Civic has been on sale in the US for almost a year now but it’s only just reached us, while we’ve seen concepts and not-quite-finished examples of the Type R at motor shows since Paris 2016. However when we compare it to the eight year development of the previous model it raises the question, why so soon?

The answer to this question is why it’s also believed this will be a far better, and far more complete, car than its predecessor. The development of this Type R has taken place alongside the standard Civic, which was long due an update.

The Type R version will also be another manufacturing triumph for the UK, as the car will be produced for global distribution from the same plant as the standard Civic in Swindon.