2017 Geneva Motor Show: Honda Civic Type R set for scorching Swiss debut

The eagerly awaited production version of the all-new Honda Civic Type R is set to make its debut at next month’s Geneva motor show.

The UK-built hot hatch is expected to closely resemble the Batmobile-esque concept revealed in Paris last year, whose aggressive styling included a double-decker rear spoiler and carbon-fibre front splitter, carbon-fibre side skirts, engorged wheel arches (vented at the front) and a trio of prominent exhaust pipes.

Many of these features as well as the diamond mesh grilles, turbo-cooling bonnet scoop and wide-track 20-inch alloys with Brembo brake calipers have already been spotted on tge Honda Civic Type R prototypes being tested around the world including Sydney. It’s getting real close.

Honda has been tight-lipped about performance stats so far, but the next-gen Civic Type R is expected to continue sending drive to the front wheels exclusively, while power will be provided by a tweaked version of the outgoing model’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol screamer that should outperform the current Europe-only Civic Type R’s 228kW/400Nm ‘K20C1’.

Unlike the ninth-gen model, the new Type R has mostly been designed on a clean slate alongside the new Civic hatch. This allowed for a lot more design flexibility with the aerodynamic package, which will play a big part in the new Type R’s on-track performance. All of that lairy aero isn’t just for show, it seems.

Along with the wider chassis to improve grip and stability, expect a 0-100km/h sprint time that’s closer to the Golf R manual’s 5.2sec than the Mk9’s 5.7s.

There’s no word on transmissions at this stage either, but the purists will be hoping for something along the lines of the Mk9’s six-speed manual gearbox.

The Honda Civic Type R is being built at Honda’s Swindon plant and is expected to go on sale from September, including here in Australia and, for the first time, the North American market.

We can’t wait for the comparo between it and rivals such as the Volkswagen Golf GTI, Ford Focus RS, Peugeot 308 GTi and Renault Megane RS 265 – as well as the incoming Hyundai i30 N. The world of hot hatches is about to get even toastier.