As hot hatches go the new Honda Civic Type R really does live up to the carmaker’s hype that it’s a ‘race car for the road’.
Powered by a new 2.0 litre BTEC turbo engine, this high revving unit will sound like a race car too – there’s a four exit exhaust for it which is being tuned for noise and performance.
Peak power for the unit is 310 PS at 6,500 rpm (the car redlines at 7,000 rpm) while its peak torque is 400Nm at 2,500 rpm – both of these figures are higher than any other Honda Civic Type R that’s gone before.
However, it should also be noted that it’s also a fairly frugal engine, it should return around 39 mpg on the combined cycle. CO2 emissions are 170g/km.
There’s also a number of eye-catching styling improvements to help boost airflow while improving stability and performance.
Honda Civic Type R gets a new suspension
For those who really want to put the Honda Civic Type R through its spaces, the carmaker has added a new advanced suspension system – and it’s unique to the car.
The result is a car that offers a rewarding experience with excellent handling characteristics and unbelievable maximum power transfer.
There are a number of driving modes and there’s a new one, the +R, which increases the response of the engine and chassis to boost driving thrills.
For many reasons, the Honda Civic Type R will probably set the benchmark for the next generation of hot hatches with its class leading levels of performance.
The engine is coupled to a six speed manual gearbox and, Honda says, that each of the gear ratios has been optimised for the best performance.
Max speed for the Honda Civic Type R
Maximum speed for the Honda Civic Type R is 167mph when the car is in sixth gear and engine running at 6,500 rpm.
To help keep control of this hot hatch, there’s a limited slip differential to help boost strong cornering traction.
The cabin looks like it’s more suited for driving on a racetrack but it also a nice everyday driving sporty feel to it.
The seats, gear stick and steering wheel are also unique to the model.
The new Civic Type R is also packed with equipment and the new Honda Connect infotainment system runs on Android which has a familiar feel of smartphone functionality.
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The touchscreen gives vehicle information, Bluetooth connectivity and access to a rear view parking camera.
There’s also, and this is a growing trend for new cars today, Internet access with a range of pre-installed apps which include Internet radio, Honda apps and a DAB radio.
There’s also access to smartphone Wi-Fi tethering to enable full Internet browsing – though the car has to be stationary for this to work – so drivers can search for local amenities, for instance.
There’s also automatic climate air con and cruise control with speed limiter.
The Honda Civic Type R costs £29,995.