Japan will be the third country outside Europe where Honda markets the hot hatch, after Australia and South Africa. The Swindon facility is the only one in the world where the three-door Type R is being built, with the other facilities in Japan, Thailand, the US or Canada manufacturing only the four door version.
Japan is the third country outside Europe to import this high-revving hot hatch with the red ‘H’ badge, following Australia and South Africa. The demand for the European produced car in Honda’s domestic market is testament to the dedication and skill of Associates at Honda’s largest European factory," the company said in a release.
The new Type R was introduced at the Paris Motor Show. in 2008. Compared to the 5-door Civic, the Type-R features a shorter bodywork and comes in choice of three trim levels: Type-R, Heritage and Heritage Navi.
There is only one engine choice available, the 2.0l petrol unit. It develops 201 hp at 7,800 rpm and 193 Nm of torque at 5,600 rpm. Mated to a 6-speed manual transmission, the Type R reaches 60 in 6.6 seconds and tops at 146 mph (235 km/h).
The hot hatch is the second European built Type R to be imported in Japan, after the introduction of the of the 2001 Type R. Pricing for the Type R in Japan has not yet been released.
Google News