Automotive

Honda reveals production model of Civic Type R hot hatchback

Honda reveals production model of Civic Type R hot hatchback
The 2017 Honda Civic R has triple exhausts
The 2017 Honda Civic R has triple exhausts
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The 2017 Honda Civic R made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show
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The 2017 Honda Civic R made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show
The 2017 Honda Civic R has a new aerodynamic package
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The 2017 Honda Civic R has a new aerodynamic package
The 2017 Honda Civic R retains the rear spoiler of the previous R-type
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The 2017 Honda Civic R retains the rear spoiler of the previous R-type
The 2017 Honda Civic R has triple exhausts
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The 2017 Honda Civic R has triple exhausts
The 2017 Honda Civic R has an aggressive grille design
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The 2017 Honda Civic R has an aggressive grille design
The 2017 Honda Civic R has a stiffer chassis
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The 2017 Honda Civic R has a stiffer chassis
The 2017 Honda Civic R shares the standard Civic's ground-up re-engineering
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The 2017 Honda Civic R shares the standard Civic's ground-up re-engineering
The 2017 Honda Civic R does 320 bhp
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The 2017 Honda Civic R does 320 bhp
The 2017 Honda Civic R has a six-speed manual gearbox
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The 2017 Honda Civic R has a six-speed manual gearbox
The 2017 Honda Civic R has a lighter rear wing
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The 2017 Honda Civic R has a lighter rear wing
The 2017 Honda Civic R will built at Swindon
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The 2017 Honda Civic R will built at Swindon
The 2017 Honda Civic R interior
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The 2017 Honda Civic R interior
The 2017 Honda Civic R spoiler detail
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The 2017 Honda Civic R spoiler detail
The 2017 Honda Civic R will be directly marketed to North America for the first time
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The 2017 Honda Civic R will be directly marketed to North America for the first time
The 2017 Honda Civic R rear detail
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The 2017 Honda Civic R rear detail
The 2017 Honda Civic R wheel detail
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The 2017 Honda Civic R wheel detail
View gallery - 16 images

Honda's latest track version of its hot hatchback was unveiled today at the Geneva Motor Show. Expected to begin production later this year, the 2017 Honda Civic Type R is based on the newly re-engineered standard Civic hatchback, though it's been thoroughly tweaked to make it suitable for the track as well as the road.

The 2017 Honda Civic R certainly maintains much of the styling of this year's standard version as well as many of the cues from the concept previewed at the 2016 Paris Motor Show. It has a distinctly aggressive appearance with massive air scoops and that huge rear spoiler, which almost seems put of proportion with the rest of the car.

Honda says the new Civic R has a stiffer chassis covered by a lighter, more rigid body shell that boasts a wider use of adhesives in key areas, giving it 38 percent better torsional rigidity compared to last year's Civic R. There's also better aerodynamics thanks to a front air curtain, smoother underbody, a lighter rear wing, and the vortex generators on the roof line's trailing edge.

The 2017 Honda Civic R has a new aerodynamic package
The 2017 Honda Civic R has a new aerodynamic package

Under the bonnet, there's an upgraded version of the two-liter VTEC TURBO engine used in the previous Type R, though instead of 306 bhp (228 kW), the 2017 Civic R punches 320 bhp (239 kW) with 295 ft lb (400 Nm) of torque and has better throttle response. This is backed up by a six-speed manual gearbox with a rev match control system.

Up front in the Civic R is the Macpherson strut suspension off the standard hatchback with a new geometry to hold down torque steer, and at the rear is a new independent multi-link system with high rigidity suspension arms.

Honda says that the driver assist modes now include a "Comfort" setting as well as the Sport and +R Track modes, which adapt the dampers, steering force, gear lever, and throttle response.

Production of the Civic R is slated to begin in the third quarter of this year at Honda's Swindon plant in the UK and will be exported to world markets, including, for the first time, North America.

Source: Honda

View gallery - 16 images
3 comments
3 comments
Nairda
Without AWD it will be difficult to put down those 239kW.
Terence Hawkes
Why oh why, do manufacturers insist on building such ugly cars? The current trend is gaping maw grilles, facets all over the place. This thing looks like a Transformer.
sk8dad
@Terrence Hawkes, answer: design fad pendulum.