More talk of Honda Civic Type R electrification 

The Honda Civic Type R is a hot hatch king, but its life is coming to an end in Europe. It will be around for a bit longer yet in other markets, but what does the future bring for the next model? There has been talk of some kind of hybridisation, but it appears Honda isn’t ruling out going electric either. 

Speaking at the launch of the new Prelude in the UK recently, the project leader of the new hybrid sportsters, Tomoyuki Yamagami, has been reported as saying; “Type R can be anything in the future, depending on what the market demands” and the “Type R is not dependent on a turbo powertrain” – a clear reference to the current model’s turbocharged 2.0-litre. 

Read more 2022 Honda Civic Type R review

While not divulging any specifics about this theoretical electrification, Yamagami said that for Honda, the “Type R badge is about the ability to enhance dynamic attributes to the max” regardless of what powers the vehicle. But whether that will be a hybrid or a full electric is still very unclear. 

At an earlier Honda event in the US to unveil the latest 0 Series EV prototypes, Toshihiro Akiwa, head of BEV Development, said; “A battery and motor have different characteristics so we can’t come up with something exactly the same as before”. “As an EV, how can we provide the joy of driving? We haven’t given up of course, but it’s not just about power, it’s about the sound, vibration, acceleration and the human experience. These are the joys of driving.” 

Given the tepid market reception for hybrid performance models (we are looking at you AMG), there’s no doubt Honda will be investing in a lot of market research among actual hot hatch buyers before deciding on the future of the next Type R.