Honda goes hardcore: Electrified Civic Type R to deliver 294kW and AWD to rumble the Subaru WRX STI - reports

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Rumours about the next Honda Civic Type R are swirling (image credit: Best Car Web)
Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
30 Aug 2020
2 min read

Japan's power wars are heating up, with reports from Japan suggesting the next Honda Civic Type R will make use of electric motors to unlock 300kW and AWD.

We're at the dawn of a new era of affordable performance in Japan, with vehicles like the Subaru WRX STI, Nissan 400Z and Toyota GR Supra set to redefine the idea of cut-price punch.

And it seems Honda's entrant into this go-fast fray won't be lacking in the performance department, with reports from Japan suggesting the next-gen Civic Type R will use a hybrid powertrain to both up the grunt and unlock AWD.

According to local media, the next Civic Type R will use a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine to power the front wheels, along with two electric motors housed at the rear axle. Total system output is expected to reach 400ps, or 294kW.

Read More:Ā New Honda Civic Type R to be a 300kW AWD monster? Hybrid set-up will out-punch nearly every hot hatch on the planet - reports

The news ties neatly with Honda's promise to electrify all models, in Europe at least, by 2025. And given the new Type R isn't expected until 2022 or 2023, a hybrid powertrain seems a given.

That would make it a powerful proposition. Consider that the Hyundai i30 N produces 202kW and 353Nm, while the current Golf R is good for 213kW and 380Nm. The GR Corolla, on the other hand, will share its engine with the GR Yaris, which should mean outputs of 192kW and 360Nm.

The current Type R has just been updated for 2020/2021, but while there have been suspension and braking changes, there is no extra power, with the hardcore Honda to producing 228kW and 400Nm from its 2.0-litre turbo-petrol VTEC four-cylinder engine.

Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
Andrew Chesterton should probably hate cars. From his hail-damaged Camira that looked like it had spent a hard life parked at the end of Tiger Woods' personal driving range, to the Nissan Pulsar Reebok that shook like it was possessed by a particularly mean-spirited demon every time he dared push past 40km/h, his personal car history isn't exactly littered with gold. But that seemingly endless procession of rust-savaged hate machines taught him something even more important; that cars are more than a collection of nuts, bolts and petrol. They're your ticket to freedom, a way to unlock incredible experiences, rolling invitations to incredible adventures. They have soul. And so, somehow, the car bug still bit. And it bit hard. When "Chesto" started his journalism career with News Ltd's Sunday and Daily Telegraph newspapers, he covered just about everything, from business to real estate, courts to crime, before settling into state political reporting at NSW Parliament House. But the automotive world's siren song soon sounded again, and he begged anyone who would listen for the opportunity to write about cars. Eventually they listened, and his career since has seen him filing car news, reviews and features for TopGear, Wheels, Motor and, of course, CarsGuide, as well as many, many others. More than a decade later, and the car bug is yet to relinquish its toothy grip. And if you ask Chesto, he thinks it never will.
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