GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: Honda Civic Type R revealed in full

The Honda Civic Type R has seen the light of day – finally.

After a protracted teaser campaign (and countless concepts), the Japanese car-maker has shown in-full the production version of the Civic-based hot hatch at the Geneva motor show.

Honda Australia has also confirmed the new model will land in local showrooms before year’s end, as opposed to the predecessor, which was not offered Down Under.

Bearing an unsurprisingly striking resemblance to the concept previewed last year, the 2018 Civic Type R boasts aggressive front air intakes, big wheels and an oversized rear wing.

Its sporty styling complements wicked-up aero, including a smooth underbody, front air curtain and vortex generators at the trailing edge of the roofline – all contributing to claimed best-in-class balance between lift and drag, and excellent high-speed stability.

Under the bonnet resides a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder that makes 235kW and 400Nm, sending drive to the front wheels only via a six-speed manual transmission only.

Bolstering those credentials, the newcomer features a modified Macpherson front strut suspension set up, while a independent multi-link system does duties at the rear.

Like the drivetrain and steering, the suspension can be tailored between three different driving modes – Comfort, Sport and R.

The chassis is said to boast 38 per cent stiffer torsional rigidity over the predecessor.

The Civic Type R will land amid a stacked segment in Australia when it lands later in the year, its estimated $50,000 sticker price slotting cleanly among the AWD hotties including Subaru WRX, Volkswagen Golf R and Ford Focus RS.