What If... The New Honda Civic Type R Morphed Into This Awesome Sports SUV?

Honda started making the Civic back in 1972, when one could have easily categorized it as a sub-compact model (it has since grown a lot). The Civic proved so successful that rival Japanese brands such as Mazda and Mitsubishi soon responded in kind with the likes of the original Familia or the Mirage.

The first-ever Civic was available with a wide range of body styles, such as a two- or four-door fastback sedan, three- and five-door hatchback and even a five-door station wagon. Now that’s what I call freedom of choice – nowadays, you can only get it as a sedan or a fastback.

You probably know the rest of the story, with Honda growing the Civic name over multiple decades, turning it into a genuine rival to the likes of the VW Golf and just about every other high-profile European C-segment car.

Now in its eleventh generation, the Civic is safer and more comfortable than ever. It’s also versatile, despite it being the first Civic since the second-generation model not to offer a coupe body style. To be fair, there isn’t much global demand anymore for two-door C-segment cars.

The all-new Civic is powered by turbocharged 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter engines, and you can also get it as a hybrid (Civic e:HEV). Of course, the most appealing specification, if you’re a car enthusiast, has to be the Type R.

Unveiled back in July, the sixth-gen Civic Type R (based on the eleventh gen Civic) is only available as a fastback and as you’ve undoubtedly noticed by now, it doesn’t look as bonkers as its predecessor – rather, it features a less aggressive, more mature design. It is wider, though, which definitely helps with its road presence.

In terms of performance, it packs the same 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine as the fifth-gen Type R, producing 315 hp (320 ps) and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque. You also get a manual gearbox and all you have to spend is just under $43,000. Not a bad deal, if this is indeed the type of car you’re looking for.

Now, say we took this exact same car and used it as a blueprint for designing a sporty compact SUV. Oh, wouldn’t you know it? That’s exactly what we did!

Our exclusive rendering depicts a hypothetical Type R SUV that not only looks the part but is also not completely out of the realm of possibility. I mean, sure, Honda does have a bunch of crossovers on sale (popular ones, too), but can you really have enough of these things in your portfolio? I guess it depends on whom you ask – I bet Mercedes’ answer to that question would be a resounding ‘No.’

Anyway, you can’t consider an SUV variant of the Civic Type R without making a few concessions/modifications. For example, you can’t expect people to want to still change gears themselves via a six-speed manual in a vehicle that’s also designed to handle school runs. That’s where a quick-shifting automatic transmission comes in handy.

You also need larger-diameter wheels, that’s a given, and fender guards, too. As for that massive rear wing, it would probably be best if it was only available as an optional extra.

Personally, I wouldn’t go full ‘compact SUV’ with the Type R in terms of overall dimensions, as it would surely drive better if it were simply a “jacked-up” and slightly larger version of the current car.