Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

Faster, less furious: Honda’s Civic Type R is growing up

By

Honda Civic type R
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Honda is already preparing the next generation of the Civic Type R. And while engineers are following the time-tested recipe of stuffing a big engine between the fenders of a humble Civic, it sounds like they’re tweaking the doses.

Launched last year, the current Type R is based on the ninth-generation Civic, a model that has reached the end of its life cycle. The next R will be an evolution of the upcoming hatchback variant of the tenth-generation Civic, but its design is being toned-down to appeal to a wider, more mainstream audience. Its body kit will be less aggressive-looking, and it will ditch the current model’s massive roof-mounted wing in favor of a more discreet spoiler.

Recommended Videos

The cabin will still put an emphasis on sport, though it will be built with nicer materials to feel more upscale. Honda insiders have revealed that the next Type R will be more tech-focused than the current model, too. In short, the Type R is growing up.

That doesn’t mean it’s going soft. The same insiders told British magazine Auto Express that power will be provided by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine tuned to develop 340 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque. In comparison, the current Type R (pictured) uses a 2.0-liter turbo four rated at 306 horses and 295 pound-feet of twist. A six-speed manual transmission will come standard, but what’s surprising is that the Type R will remain front-wheel drive in spite of the extra grunt. A trick suspension setup will help keep the prodigious amount of torque steer in check.

Read more: Honda’s next S2000 might not be mid-engined after all

The hatchback version of the tenth-generation Civic is scheduled to greet the public for the first time next month during the Paris Auto Show. Auto Express has learned that the hatch will share the spotlight on the Honda stand with a thinly-veiled concept designed as an accurate preview of the next Type R. The production model will arrive next year, and it will finally make its way to showrooms in the United States.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon
Contributor
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
Mercedes-Benz G580 first drive: old-school off-roader goes electric
2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 from three quarter view.

American car buyers mostly know Mercedes-Benz as a luxury brand. But for decades, the automaker has also produced the tough, rugged G-Class (also known as the Geländewagen or G-Wagen), an SUV not afraid to get its leather upholstery muddy. And now, this iconic Mercedes is going electric.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology — the final name of the SUV previously known as the EQG — isn’t the first electric off-roader. The Rivian R1S and R1T and GMC Hummer EV have proven that electric powertrains and off-roading are a great combination. But the electric G-Wagen is different because it’s based on an internal-combustion model — and a very traditional one at that.

Read more
Honda believes hydrogen semi trucks will make the case for fuel cells
Honda hydrogen fuel-cell semi truck.

Honda remains committed to hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, but the market for those vehicles remains limited. So Honda is looking at other uses for fuel cells -- including commercial trucks.

To show how that could work, Honda converted a semi truck to fuel-cell power, replacing its diesel engine with three fuel-cell modules. Together, the three modules produce a combined 321 horsepower, and can propel the truck to a top speed of 70 mph. There's enough onboard hydrogen storage capacity for a 400-mile range with a full load, Honda claims.

Read more
Mercedes-Benz G580 vs Rivian R2: Is the much cheaper Rivian actually better?
2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 from three quarter view.

Mercedes-Benz has finally taken the wraps off of the new "Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology." Yeah, it's a mouthful, but it's basically a new electric G-Wagon. It looks a lot like the G-Wagon you know and love, but with an electric powertrain and a battery. It's not the only electric SUV out there, however, and there are some great ones -- like the Rivian R2.

Both the Mercedes G580 and the Rivian R2 have a lot going for them, but they also approach the electric SUV slightly differently. Is one better than the other? I put the two head-to-head to find out.
Design
The approach that the two vehicles take to design is quite different -- and you might like one better than the other.

Read more