New Honda Civic Type R concept revealed

The next-gen Honda Civic Type R has been previewed with a surprise concept car at the Paris motor show 2016, which will go on sale internationally in the second half of next year.

The concept is based on the 2017 Honda Civic hatchback, which was revealed earlier in the month. The new Type R is expected be seen in production-ready form sometime early next year.

Styling features on the concept include wider air vents than the regular Civic, smoked LED headlights and a new air intake on the bonnet. New skirts made from carbon fibre help to give the car a more aggressive look, alongside 20in alloy wheels shod with performance tyres. The car's wheel arches are also flared. At the back, there's a new fixed spoiler, and three exhaust outlets.

Powering the next Type R is expected to be a modified version of the current car’s 310hp 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine.

Honda says the new Type R will be made alongside the regular Civic at its Swindon factory in the UK. It will be exported to global markets, including the US, making Type R to be sold in North America for the first time. This is because the Civic Type R has never been built in sedan form and is unlikely to be for this generation too.

The current Civic Type R was launched only last year, and competes against the Ford Focus RS, Audi RS3 Sportback, VW Golf R and Mercedes-AMG A45.

Don’t expect the Civic Type R to come to India, but Honda is evaluating the possibility of bringing back the regular Civic here in the coming years, in the form of the 10th-gen sedan model.