At the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, Honda revealed their new Honda Civic Type R. The new Type R has been engineered from the ground up, with a focus on delivering one hell of a hot-hatch that’s at home on-road or the track. There’s a new 2.0L VTEC Turbo engine that produces a very healthy 235 kW with 400 Nm of torque.
The car looks aggressively interesting, with more angles than an overpaid architect. There’s big bold air intakes in the front bar, a slotted front hood, big rear wing, but its the tri-exhaust rear-end that’s the real stand out. Its a unique feature that’ll ensure everyone knows you’re driving something special.
The power is delivered through a six-speed manual gearbox and thanks to a rev match control system, you’ll be confident the car’s always ready for the next gear you throw it, while minimising shift times.
Enhanced driving modes
Like a number of modern cars, the Type R will be a transformer, with different driving modes. Ready to be a compliant grocery getter (Comfort) when required, it can also come alive (Sport) for a sunday drive through the twisty stuff. If you get yourself to a track then you’ll be selecting a dedicated +R mode. Each selection tailors the adaptive dampers, steering force, gear shift feeling and throttle response of the car on demand.
A stiffer chassis and revised suspension
Honda say they’ve not only made the car lighter, but the body shell is more rigid and the torsional rigidity is improved by 38%.
The front Macpherson strut suspension of the standard Civic hatchback is revised with new geometry to minimise torque steer and maximise sporty handling. At the rear, the new independent multi-link system of the standard car is improved with the use of unique high rigidity suspension arms.
Refined aerodynamics for high-speed stability
The all-new Honda Civic Type R has a more comprehensive aerodynamic package than the previous model, including a smoother underbody, front air curtain, a lightweight rear wing and vortex generators at the trailing edge of the roof line. The muscular, aggressive body has a best-in-class balance between lift and drag, contributing to greater high speed stability.
The car will be made in Europe and exported around the world, including Australia later this year. This will also be the first time that any Honda-badged Type R has been officially sold into the United States.
Full Australian details of the Honda Civic Type R will be available closer to launch.
