Honda shows off new Civic Type R at Suzuka test

Having issued its first official photos of the next-generation Civic Type R in October, Honda has now followed up with a series of pictures showing its new hot hatch testing at Suzuka Circuit in Japan, giving us further insight into the model’s looks ahead of its impending launch. 

As detailed previously, the new Type R appears to be slightly more laid back compared to the FK8 it replaces, with less sharp edges and a more subtle rear wing. 

Still, it features all manner of requisite hot hatch-isms in its appearance, including a widened stance to accommodate larger Michelin rubber, larger grilles with more gaping honeycomb perforations, and the tri-exhaust exits that we’ve become familiar with from Honda. 

The Suzuka images show the Honda being benchmarked against two FK8s. Curiously one is a pre-facelift model while the other is naturally the current facelifted variant with the more comprehensive brake package and other changes.

There’s a handful of new little details that can be gleaned from these images if you look at them for long enough. For example, the shot with the bonnet up shows vents in it that we haven’t seen before. 

Honda has already confirmed that the new Type R will debut next year, although exactly when is unknown. Most expect the model to break cover early in the year, given that Honda will soon be phasing out pure internal combustion engine models, of which this is rumoured to be one.

The reveal comes just as the ‘standard’ Civic debuts in New Zealand. Honda’s local arm recently detailed that the model would be launched in just the one trim level; the $47,000 Sport, with a 1.5-litre turbofour producing 131kW/240Nm. 

The firm added that the model will eventually be joined by both a hybrid variant (likely to sport e:HEV nomenclature) and the pictured Type R. Expect to see more about both in the new year.