Honda Civic Type R races in from $50,990 BOCs

HONDA’S incoming flagship Civic Type R will be priced from $50,990 before on-road costs when it lands in Australian showrooms from October, matching the pricing of its Ford Focus RS rival while undercutting the $52,990 Volkswagen Golf R.

The UK-built Japanese hot hatch will complete the recently launched Honda Civic five-door range, swelling available variants to six, and it will sit $17,400 upstream from the current $33,590 VTi-LX flagship.

Powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre VTEC four-cylinder engine, the front-wheel-drive (FWD) Civic Type R makes peak 228kW of power at 6500rpm and maximum torque of 400Nm from 2500-4500rpm.

With power fed to the front axle via a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission with rev-matching function, Honda’s 1393kg hot hatch is expected to accelerate from zero to 100km/h in under six seconds and currently holds the record for fastest FWD production car around the Nuburgring circuit.

Fuel economy is rated at 8.8 litres per 100km, while CO2 emissions clock 200g/km.

To tame the torque steer, Honda has fitted a helical limited-slip differential and new Dual-Axis front suspension set-up which utilises aluminium lower control arms and steering knuckles, as well as tweaked spring, damper and bushing settings all round.

For better steering control, the Type R also employs an adaptive dual-pinion electric power steering system with a variable gear ratio, while an extensive aerodynamic package including rear spoiler, smoother underbody and rally-style roof-mounted vortex generators aid with reducing turbulent airflow.

Three driving modes are available in the latest-generation Civic Type R – Comfort, Sport and +R – which tunes the steering, throttle response, rev-matching, Vehicle Stability Assist and adaptive dampers accordingly.

Black-coloured 20-inch wheels sit at all four corners wrapped in 245/30 Continental SportContact 6 tyres, while tucked beneath are 350mm ventilated and drilled discs up front with four-piston Brembo callipers while 305mm solid discs handle the rears.

Honda’s Sensing suite safety system is also standard on the Type R, which includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and lane keep assist, as well as the brand’s LaneWatch camera system.

Honda’s exclusively four-seat hot hatch is also differentiated from its standard siblings by an eye-catching bodykit which includes a front splitter, side skirts and rear diffuser finished in a carbon-fibre-like material, tricked-out centre-exit triple exhaust outlets and a functional bonnet scoop.

Inside, the Civic Type R is kitted out with sports bucket seats finished in a suede-like fabric, while red highlights are featured throughout predominantly black cabin including accents on the steering wheel, dashboard, shifter boot and carpet.

A 7.0-inch colour LCD display sits front and centre behind the steering wheel displaying driving information, while infotainment is handled by an Apple CarPlay and Android Auto-compatible touchscreen unit with digital radio, Bluetooth connectivity and USB input functionality.

Boot capacity is 414 litres, but the 60:40 split-fold rear seats can be tucked away for more volume.

Exterior colour options include Honda’s hero Championship White, as well as Crystal Black, Sonic Grey and Brilliant Sport Blue – each incurring an additional $575 cost – while Rally Red is standard.

Honda Australia director Stephen Collins said its new Type R has already generated considerable interest from buyers, with some already placing deposits down on the hot hatch before final pricing was revealed.

“We’ve already taken more than 250 customer orders and more than 5000 people have registered their interest,” he said. “So it’s clear there’s a lot of pent-up customer demand for the return of the Civic Type R.”