Honda states that all models will be electrified from 2022. All models? Well, all the mainstream models. We suspect that this Civic Type R does not fall into that category.
A quote from an English-language Honda press release: “Accelerated ‘Electric Vision’ strategy will see all Honda’s European mainstream models electrified by 2022.’ The crux lies in that ‘mainstream’, a word that is quickly missed when promulgating such great plans. Honda thus allows itself the space to keep the less common models out of this ambition. In Europe, there can really only be one model: the Civic Type R. We therefore think there is a good chance that the new Civic Type R will remain faithful to its illustrious predecessors in everything, as a tribute to generations of particularly fierce hot hatchbacks under the Type R label. That means a manual gearbox, great steering characteristics and a four-cylinder, raised by VTEC and turbos, that delivers about 320 hp, just like now. With only front-wheel drive, even more horsepower is not recommended.
Über-Civic
The fast Civic also retains its special place in the market in this form, in which he now has the realm almost alone as a fierce and pleasant analog maniac. The competition is in fact standard less powerful or less ‘hardcore’, because more than 300 hp in a hot hatchback almost always means four-wheel drive and an automatic transmission. At the same time, it does not have to be a problem if Honda decides to electrify the new Civic Type R. Honda’s own supercar, the NSX, is also a hybrid, for example. With the Civic, a mild-hybrid assistance in case of electrification would make sense. A full-hybrid, four-wheel drive über-Civic with 400 hp is of course also possible. However, given the formulation of the ambition mentioned above, this is unlikely.
Exciting
It is certain that the new Civic Type R is coming. It is also clear that the car on these pages is at least 95 percent identical to the final product. That is not the credit of our Photoshop artist, because he only had to peel the camouflage print from the images released by Honda itself. The car is, of course, based on the all-new eleventh generation of the Civic, which appeared as a hatchback in July. That is the model that the Type R uses. On the outside, it is also immediately clear with the new that it is a Type R, because Honda assembles a huge rear wing as usual. The aggressive bumpers and central exhaust tailpipes are also present, with the middle one now the largest of the three. Still, the new Type R looks a bit quieter than the previous one. This is partly due to the sleeker, timeless design that serves as a starting point, but Honda also approaches the adjustments slightly differently. For example, the wheel arches have now been knocked out in a beautifully integrated way, where the wheel arch extensions of the current model seem to come from the Autostyle catalog once loved by Civic drivers. Honda also takes it a little easier with cooling vents. Before the new Type R comes, the new regular Civic will be launched later this fall. Then it gets exciting: a traditional setup means a lot of bpm and that makes a Dutch career for the Type R by no means obvious. Just electrify, then?
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl