Honda recently unveiled the next generation of its Civic. We presented it to you on Motor1.com, and you can find all the information relating to this new generation by clicking here.
During its revelation, the Japanese manufacturer, however, remained quite discreet about the sports versions that will emerge in the near future. So we have very little official information, but the languages are loosening and the managers of the brand now speak openly about these high performance versions.
Illustration Honda Civic Type R
In a presentation broadcast live on Instagram, the manufacturer’s press relations manager said that the Honda Civic Si and Type R will have a manual gearbox! This is quite rare in an automotive industry that prefers the efficiency of dual-clutch automatic transmissions to manual transmissions. This is certainly good news for fans of the gearshift and third pedal, it is less so for those who prioritize absolute efficiency.
Illustration Honda Civic Type R
It should be remembered that the current Honda Civic Type R is only available with a six-speed manual transmission. If the Japanese manufacturer did not want to replace it or add an automatic transmission, it is probably for financial reasons. It is understandable that the brand does not prefer to invest a lot of money for the development of a box for a relatively confidential vehicle model.
We have to be happy that the Honda Civic Type R survives new pollution standards that require manufacturers to electrify their models or eliminate them altogether. Indeed, one of the competitors to the Civic Type R is the Renault Mégane RS which will unfortunately not be renewed.
Renault Sport becomes Alpine Cars and as you probably know, Alpine will only market electric vehicles! If the Mégane RS has a descendant, it will therefore be 100% electric and will therefore no longer be able to line up against the Civic Type R, which will remain thermal. The other competitor is the Cupra Leon which has of course been renewed and which also benefits from an electrified version delivering 245 hp.
Getting back to the new Civic Type R, we’d expect it to retain its 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Hopefully its power is revised upwards, with why not a power of around 350 hp (rumors speak of a hybrid engine for an output power of 400 hp).
