Geneva Motor Show 2017: New Honda Civic Type R Looks Better Than Ever!

Like myself, a majority of the gamers around the globe have had the Civic as their first game car. Now, to all of our delight, Honda has revealed the 2017 Civic Type R at the ongoing Geneva Motor Show. Also, this is the first time ever that a Honda car with the 'R' badge will be sold in the USA, after making its American debut later at the New York International Auto Show on April 12, 2017.

Based on the 5-door hatchback variant of the tenth-generation Honda Civic, the 2017 Type R features a 2.0-liter turbocharged i-VTEC in-line 4-cylinder engine which produces a max power of 306PS at 6,500rpm and 400Nm peak torque from 2,500rpm to 4,500rpm. Also, staying true to its pure driving characteristics, the hot hatch features a short-throw 6-speed manual transmission with rev matching capability. Also, the Type R has a lower final gear ratio to improve acceleration response. To further channel this power, the car comes with three driving modes: Comfort, Sport (default) and +R. These adjust the steering, throttle response, transmission rev-matching, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) and the Adaptive Damper System to suit various driving conditions. 

The car gets massive 20-inch aluminium alloy wheels which are wrapped in 245/30 R20 Continental performance tyres. Inside these wheels lie Brembo 4-pot aluminium callipers which help stop the car via 350mm disc at the front, whereas the rear gets 305mm discs.

The new Civic Type R is also lighter and more rigid than the last one. For the number crunchers, it has a 38 per cent increase in torsional rigidity and a 45 per cent increase in bending rigidity. Ultra-high strength steel has been used in 14 per cent of the body structure and combined with the all-aluminum hood, the car is 16 kg lighter than the previous Type R, and a 7 kg lighter than the base 2017 Civic hatchback.

Inside, the car remains practical while looking inherently sporty. It has a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Honda Navigation system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The speaker output is 540-watt which is transmitted via a 12-speaker setup, though we doubt anyone will ever want to hear this over the growling engine. Further adding to the sportiness are sports seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, aluminium shift knob, aluminium sport pedals, red Type R driver's meter and a Type R plate on the centre console. 

The Type R will be launched in the USA sometime in late spring this year. The price, as Honda says, will be close to $30,000 (approx Rs 20 lakh) and will rival the likes of Ford Focus RS and Subaru WRX STI. 

The 2017 Honda Civic gets all the above features, while looking like it belongs in a video game or a sci-fi movie. It will surely be my next bedroom poster, what about you?

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