Now that the Honda Civic X is officially available as a hatchback, the next thing enthusiasts are looking forward to is, of course, the Type R. Expected to debut in production-ready form at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, the all-new Civic Type R will be offered with a driver’s worst nightmare: a continuously variable transmission.
“OH HELL NO!” you might be thinking, but three Honda officials have revealed exactly that to Car Magazine. In the November 2016 print issue of the publication, head engineer Mitsuru Kariya, lead designer Daisuke Tsutamori, and Honda Europe big shot Katsushi Inoue told it as it is: the CVT will be available as an option and, in its defense, it's set up for low-end acceleration.
Brought to our attention by CivicX forum member Browncoat3000, key specs the three discuss also include a 6-speed manual transmission that will come as standard, FWD-only configuration, limited-slip differential up front, and a “significantly lower center of gravity compared to the standard Civic [X hatchback].” I still can’t get my head around why would Honda go for a CVT instead of a dual-clutch auto, but then again, Honda does things its own way.
Previewed by the Civic Type R Prototype revealed last year at the Paris Motor Show, the most thrilling Civic X hatchback of them all is expected to pack the firepower of a 2.0 VTEC Turbo. Hearsay suggests that the K20C1 engine in the outgoing Civic Type R will be employed by the all-new model. Output-wise, the sweet spot is a minimum of 310 PS (306 hp) and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm).
After Honda comes clean about what the 2018 Civic Type R is all about, the front-wheel-drive hot hatchback will have to take on the likes of the Volkswagen Golf GTI ClubSport S. And the upcoming 2018 Renault Megane RS, which is scheduled to debut in Europe in the latter half of 2017.
UPDATE
Sage Marie, the senior manager of public relations at Honda, would like Civic Type R fans to know that the next-gen hot hatchback will not have a CVT.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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